Red lentil, squash & coconut dhal

Dhal is the definition of comfort in a bowl. for extra texture and nourishment i’ve added kale and served it with a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
850g	butternut squash, peeled and cut into small cubes
90ml	olive oil
2	brown onions, finely diced
3	garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon	grated fresh ginger
1/2 tablespoon	ground cumin
2 teaspoons	ground turmeric
1 teaspoon	garam masala
1/2 teaspoon	cayenne pepper
2	litres vegetable stock
400ml	coconut milk
400g	red lentils, uncooked, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons	roughly chopped coriander, plus extra to garnish
100g	kale, roughly chopped
	salt
	freshly ground black pepper
	pumpkin seeds, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. On the tray toss together the squash and 60 ml of the oil, season and roast for 15 minutes, stirring half way through.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, then add the onions and cook for 4 minutes or until softened and translucent. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and all the dried spices, and cook for a further 2 minutes or until the spices are aromatic.
Pour in the stock, coconut milk and red lentils. Bring to the boil, then stir in the roasted butternut squash. Reduce to a simmer and leave to bubble away for 30 minutes, (stirring occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pan), or until the dhal is thick and the lentils are cooked.
Remove from the heat and stir in the coriander and kale. Allow to cool completely, then portion into containers and freeze. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave until piping hot. Serve with coriander and a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds.