I was looking at all of the beautiful winter squash at the farmer’s market but at the same time I had a craving for Indian food. Looking around online, this recipe was the most appealing, since it has both a lot of veggies and some protein sources. I personally like it a bit spicy to clear out the sinuses in winter.
I have altered the recipe for this from the one here a little bit. That website calls this a North Indian recipe -I honestly have no idea.
If you’re feeling ambitious, you could make breads to go along with it, but I personally liked it quite a bit served on basmati rice cooked with a single star anise pod.
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp oil, 1 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, in thin slices
1/2 large butternut squash, skinned
3/4 c. red lentils
3-4 c. water or broth
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3/4 c. greens (spinach/arugala/etc.)
Juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 Tsbp. chopped mint
Spice mixture (best if you use whole and grind them)
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. tumeric
1/4-1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. ground fresh ginger
1/4-1 tsp. chili flakes, to taste OR a hot green chili (japalpeno or serrano) chopped roughly.
Preparation
Sautee the onions in the oil/butter mixture until they start to get tasty and brown around the edges.
Add the spice mixture and cook for about a minute until it starts to get fragrant, but don’t let it burn.
Add the lentils, squash, and water. You’ll have to eyeball whether it’s quite enough, and might have to add a bit more. Bring to a boil, but then simmer covered, stirring to keep it from sticking to the bottom, until lentils are mushy and squash is cooked.
Add lemon juice and herbs, stir briefly and cover for 2 minutes, then serve and enjoy!
