Squash, Lentil and Leek Curry

This is a wonderfully flexible dish; it can be enhanced with additional spices, with more greens, or omitting them altogether. I love butternut squash but I can get a little tired of making nothing but soup with this colourful vegetable (actually it's technically a fruit!!!)

Let's take a look at butternut squash

Packed with vitamins and minerals

Butternut squash is an excellent source of provitamin A carotenoids, vitamin C, B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, and manganese.

High antioxidant content may decrease disease risk

May aid weight loss

Recipe - for 4-6 people

• 1 medium butternut squash

• 1/4 tsp asafoetida (if you don't have this spice, add some finely chopped red onion and a couple of garlic cloves finely chopped)

• 1 large leek, sliced

• 7.5cm piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped

• 1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk plus 850ml water

• 250g red split lentils

• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 200g rainbow chard or spring greens (I used tender stem broccoli finely chopped in the pic)

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 75g fresh coriander, chopped

• few slices of lime

1. Peel the squash and cut it into 2.5cm chunks

2. Put the asafoetida, leek, ginger and squash into a pan with the coconut milk & water. put the lid on and bring to a medium simmer

3. After 15 minutes, add the lentils, pepper, salt and turmeric and stir. allow to simmer on medium for a further 15-20 minutes, lid on, until the lentils are soft and the squash is tender. add more water if necessary to reach your desired consistency.

4. Add the greens in the last 5-15 minutes of cooking (length of time depends on the greens you are using (chard needs 5 minutes, spring greens about 15 minutes.

5. Garnish with coriander and lime slices and serve.

Comments:

I only had a small squash, so I added a sweet potato. Delicious combo! I also added a tsp of chilli powder for a bit more kick. You can remove the coconut milk and just use water, if you are feeling kapha. You may need to adjust the seasoning a little more if you do this.

You can also add more flavour and spice by sautéing a spice mix in ghee in a separate pan - coriander seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric, ground ginger, chilli or cayenne powder, salt, black pepper - then drizzle it over the finished dish.