Butternut Squash Curry

Butternut Squash- Watercolour on paper

Warm and comforting foods are on the menu everyday at home. This means soups and stews are simmering nearly everyday on the stove! I can't get enough. My body is craving root vegetables and easy to digest foods. My raw salads will have to wait till spring… 

Every Friday Riverford's veggie box brings me delicious veggies to cook with, and to improvise with!

Needless to say that at the moment squashes, parsnips and carrots are kings and queens.

And this is perfect since mother earth has planned to give us exactly what we need each season…

This month's recipe is a wonderful warming curry, delicious served with brown rice and yogurt.

Butternut squash is an amazing fruit that we use as a vegetable. I love it's nutty flavour (and I must say that the organic ones definitely have a ton more flavour…). You can roast it, make it into soups, dips, or even grate it like carrots. It contains Vitamin B6, which helps keep the nervous system functioning optimally. It is also said to help reduce inflammation in the body… 

It is also simply delicious and I get very excited when the squash season starts! 

I hope you enjoy this recipe, do let me know and if there is anything you'd like to see on this blog please do make your requests! 

Butternut Squash Curry

Serves 4

1 onion, diced

1cm fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely sliced

1tsp dried chilli flakes

2tsp coriander seeds

2tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp Garam masala

1 red pepper, cut in chunks

1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into roughly 2cm chunks

100g red lentils

750ml vegetable stock (I use Marigold powder diluted in hot water)

400g tinned tomatoes

1 big handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Sea salt and Black pepper

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.

Add the onions, ginger and garlic, a pinch of salt and sauté until the onions have softened, stirring frequently.

Add the chilli flakes, the coriander, cumin and gram masala. Stir for a minute or two, then add the lentils,  red pepper, squash and stir until well coated.

Now add the stock and the tomatoes.

Simmer, part covered for about 30min, stirring form time to time.

When the squash is soft and the lentils are cooked, add some fresh coriander and mix well.

Delicious with some brown rice and some yogurt.

You can also serve it the next day, the flavours will have developed even more…

Bon appétit!