Red lentil and butternut squash coconut dahl recipe
This is a lovely warming dish, which is colourful and light on the system. It’s also super easy to make, an added bonus! The squash can be replaced by sweet potato and Portobello mushrooms cut into thick strips are a nice addition. This dish is best served with rice (brown, black or wild) or cauliflower rice, and greens—either stir-fried or steamed.
SERVES 3–4
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 large onion diced
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 red chilli finely chopped
1.5 cups red lentils
2.5–3 cups/625–700ml water
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 a butternut squash peeled and cut into chunks (or 2 large sweet potatoes)
1 large Portobello mushroom cut into 4 lengthways (optional)
50g creamed coconut grated (or replace 400ml of water with 1 can of coconut milk)
1 inch piece of ginger
2 large handfuls of baby spinach
Sea salt
Dash of coconut aminos
1 cup/40g coriander leaves chopped
METHOD
Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion for 10–15 minutes until soft and caramelised, adding sea salt to bring out the flavour.
Add garlic and chilli and sauté for a minute before adding the spices. Stir well and sauté for a further couple of minutes.
Rinse the lentils under cold water until the water runs clear. Add the washed lentils to the onion and spices and add water starting with 625ml, along with the squash, mushroom and grated coconut and simmer for 20 minutes on a low heat. Stir little and often to make sure the dahl doesn’t stick too much to the bottom. Add the remaining water during cooking, as necessary.
After 20 minutes, grate the ginger then take the gratings and squeeze the juice into the dahl, discarding the left over pulp and skin. Add the spinach and a dash of tamari to taste. Simmer for a few minutes more before adding the coriander, keeping a little aside for serving, and gently mix it through.
Turn off the heat and allow the dahl to sit for 10–15 minutes before serving.