Curry’s have always held a place in my heart so I thought today I’d share with you a recipe for a delicious Red Lentil, Butternut squash and coconut curry. This is one of my favourite things to make, as it’s full of wonderful spices that create the most powerful aroma.. your house will smell amazing! The warmth and texture of the curry is unbelievably comforting and the ingredients are so great for you. The main ingredients we use are butternut squash and red lentils which are two of my favourite foods (the list is pretty long). Lentils are a wonderful source of plant-based protein with one cup giving you a whopping 18 grams! Protein is not only amazing for the growth and repair of muscles and tissues it also helps to keep you fuller for longer, as it is digested very slowly by the body. Butternut Squash compliments this perfectly adding a touch of sweetness. Butternut squash is a root vegetable and although like sweet potato, it is very sweet it helps to regulate blood sugar levels because of it’s high fibre content. Butternut squash also contains a wealth of antioxidants, which work to protect against disease in the body, which also helps to reduce inflammation. I always pair this curry with brown basmati rice, as by combining brown rice and lentils you get a complete protein – All nine essential amino acids.
The Ingredients
1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm chunks
150g red lentils, rinsed
600ml vegetable stock
1 tin coconut milk
1 can tinned plum tomatoes
1 handful fresh coriander, leaves chopped
Spices:
4 tbsp olive/coconut oil
2 onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 small green chilli, halved, deseeded and thinly sliced
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala
Method
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celcius. Heat the oil in the bottom of a (very) large saucepan. Add the onions and sauté with a pinch of pink Himalayan salt. You’ll need to cook them for around 10 minutes until they’re completely soft. Then add the ginger, chilli and garlic continuing to sauté for another few minutes. Then add the spices and continue to stir again. Then put the cubes of squash and the lentils in the pan and stir until everything is mixed nicely. Pour in the stock tomatoes and coconut milk. Put the lid on the saucepan and place in your oven to cook for around 30-35 minutes.
If your cooking brown rice, this is when you want to do it!
Once the curry is done, stir in some fresh parsley or coriander and season to taste.
Note: I always serve this with brown basmati rice and a dollop of coconut yoghurt or cashew sour cream.
