Dynamic menu from database - asp.net-mvc-4

Question

I have a Login page where on login it takes user to Home Page where dynamic menu is loaded.The problem is that when a user clicks on one of the menulink the loaded menu is not visible
This is because I have written the code inside Index action of theHome controller.
So my question is where should I write the logic for dynamic menu so that it is accessible on clicking the menulink.
_Layout.cshtml file where menu is loaded
#model SMS.Models.ViewModel.DashboardVM
#if (Model != null && Model.MenuParentList.Count > 0)
{
<!-- Sidebar Menu -->
<ul class="sidebar-menu">
<li class="header">MAIN NAVIGATION</li>
<li class="active">
<a href="#">
<i class="fa fa-dashboard"></i> <span>Dashboard</span>
</a>
</li>
#foreach (var parentItem in Model.MenuParentList)
{
<li class="treeview">
<a href="#">
<i class="fa fa-th"></i>
<span>#parentItem.MenuParentName</span>
<i class="fa fa-angle-left pull-right"></i>
</a>
<ul class="treeview-menu">
#Html.Partial("_MenuParent", Model.MenuList.Where(x => x.ParentID == parentItem.MenuParentID))
</ul>
</li>
}
</ul>
}
Logic for dynamic menu goes here
public ActionResult Index()
{
var _dashboardVM = new DashboardVM
{
User = _employee.Users.FirstOrDefault(),
MenuParentList=_db.Menus
.Where(x => _parentList.Contains(x.Id))
.Select(x => new SMS.Models.ViewModel.DashboardVM.MenuParent
{
MenuParentID = x.Id,
MenuParentName = x.MenuName
})
.OrderBy(x=>x.MenuParentID)
.ToList(),
MenuList=_employee.Designation.Role.MenuRoles
.Select(x=>x.Menu)
.ToList()
};
}

Answer 1

Create a separate [ChildActionOnly] method that generates your menu and call it from the layout page so its available in all pages
[ChildActionOnly]
public ActionResult Menu()
{
var model = new DashboardVM
{
....
}
return PartialView("_Menu", model);
}
and create a _Menu.cshtml partial view to generate the html
#model DashboardVM
....
and then in your layout, remove #model SMS.Models.ViewModel.DashboardVM (a layout should not have a model unless that model is a base class for all models used by the layout) and then include
#Html.Action("Menu", yourControllerName)
which will call the Menu method and insert the partial view it returns into the layout.