When I went to a friends a couple of weeks ago, she cooked up a really yummy lentil bolognaise from the new Deliciously Ella book. It was lovely to have a dish that felt substantial without meat and was hearty and healthy! I have to say that I got the book soon afterwards and this next recipe is a take on Deliciously Ella’s lentil dhal.
I think it works really well with a couple of adjustments I made to the original recipe; I have added some extra spice from the chili and crunchy texture and nice colour from the red pepper. I also think that adding some spinach would have worked really well in this recipe. I would encourage you to experiment with recipes making little adjustments if necessary to enhance flavor, texture and taste of the dish. That’s what I love to do!
Spicy Butternut squash and Lentil dhal
1 butternut peeled and cubed
1 cup red lentils
4 garlic cloves peeled and minced
1 inch fresh ginger peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 red chilli finely chopped
1 red pepper diced
2tbsp turmeric
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper
- Heat a large pan and add the olive oil, garlic and ginger and cook on a medium heat for a couple of minutes until starting to brown.
- Add the spices and tomato paste and cook for a further minute.
- Put the rest of the ingredients into the pan and add 2½ cups of water. Bring to the boil and stir, then simmer for 40 minutes.
- Serve with wild rice, and some fresh mint sprinkled on top. Mint yogurt is also lovely with this dish!
Key Ingredients and Nutrients
Red lentils– a good source of protein, help lower cholesterol and good for stabilizing blood sugar levels.
Turmeric- part of the ginger family, it contains a compound called curcumin, this has very strong anti inflammatory properties
Chili- rich in vitamin c and a good source of vitamin A and E