Pumpkin Dahl

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1/3 cup ghee
• 1/2 large butternut pumpkin, cut into 2cm cubes (about 1kg trimmed weight)
• 1 bunch silver beet, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 2 brown onions, chopped finely
• 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 green chilies, sliced thickly at a long angle
• 500 g red lentils, rinsed and drained
• 5 cups water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• 1/3 cup curry leaf
• 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
• sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup coriander leaves

Recipe

• 1 heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. add half of the ghee and cook pumpkin in batches, tossing the pan often until pumpkin is well coloured and starting to soften; set aside.
• 2 add another tablespoon of the ghee, and working in batches, cook silverbeet until wilted and tender. remove from pan and add to reserved pumpkin.
• 3 in the same pan, heat remaining ghee; add onions, garlic and ginger; cook until starting to soften and fragrant.
• 4 add spices, stirring until fragrant. add chillies, lentils and water. bring to the boil; reduce heat to a simmer; cook, covered, stirring occasionally until dahl is thick and soupy, about 40 minutes.
• 5 just before dahl is ready, heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan. add cumin, mustard seeds and curry leaves; cook until the mustard seeds 'pop'.
• 6 return pumpkin and spinach, with tomatoes and tempered spice mixture to pan with dahl; stir to combine and heat through. season to taste and stir in half of the coriander, reserving the remainder for garnish.
• 7 serve hot with basmati rice, chutney and cucumber salad.