Butternut Squash Curry

Ingredients

2 small / 1 large butternut squash, peeled & sliced into cubes

2-3 tbsp oil, enough to coat each cube

2 tsp garam masala

2 tsp garlic powder

Generous pinch cumin seeds 

salt & pepper 

2 tbsp ghee

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 cinnamon stick

3-4 cardamom pods, pressed open

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced 

25g fresh ginger (peeled), minced 

Pinch salt

½ tsp ground coriander 

2 tsp garam masala

½ tsp chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric

½ tsp cumin 

1 tbsp muscovado sugar 

2 tbsp Tomato paste 

200g cherry tomatoes or vine tomatoes, halved

1 cup red lentils, rinsed

450 ml vegetable/ chicken stock

1 tin coconut milk 

To serve: coriander (and a drizzle of cream to make it look pretty, not essential!)


Method

  1. Set oven to 200C. Peel and cube the squash and place in a large bowl along with the spices, salt, pepper and oil. Combine everything with your hands or a spoon.

  2. Place into a baking tray (I used two trays as to not overcrowd) and cook until dark and golden (approx 45 minutes). Once cooked just turn the oven off and leave the butternut squash in the oven until ready to serve. 

  3. In a wide saucepan, add the ghee followed by the mustard seeds, cinnamon, cardamom. Cover with a lid. 

  4. When fragrant and the mustard seeds start to pop, add the onion as well as a pinch of salt and saute for a couple of minutes with the lid on. Then add the garlic and ginger and cook slowly until everything is nice and soft. 

  5. Add the spices: ground coriander, garam masala, chilli, turmeric and cumin and stir. Cook out the spices for a couple of minutes before adding the tomato paste and brown sugar. Give everything a stir and let the sugar melt. 

  6. Stir in the tomatoes  and lentils, making sure the lentils are coated in the spices. 

  7. Add the stock, coconut milk and a good pinch of salt and bring to a simmer. Cover with the lid and then let it simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Give it a good stir and then turn the heat to low and gently simmer without the lid for another 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent it sticking to the bottom of the pan. 

  8. Remove from the heat and stir in half the butternut squash and serve. Top with extra butternut and fresh coriander.