munch mun.ch

Adapted from an Ocado dhal recipe, it’s less of a traditional Dhal and more of a creamy stew. It took about 40 minutes and claims to serve 4, though I reckon it would stretch to at least 6 with rice.

Packed with fresh spices and vegetables, especially the fresh tomatoes, I was disappointed the dish wasn’t as flavorful as I’d expected. I added more fresh coriander, lime juice and chili to kick it up a notch.

Ingredients

I made some minor substitutions with the spices, like grinding cumin seeds or coriander leaf. Seemed to work OK.

• 400ml Coconut Milk
• 1 Large Onion (diced)
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 1 tbsp Root Ginger
• ½ small red chili (deseeded)
• 1 small Butternut Squash, diced in to approx 3 cm squared cubes
• 6 large Tomatoes, cut in to 8 segments
• 1 tbsp Tomato purée

<li>1 tsp Ground Cumin</li>
<li>½ tsp Ground Turmeric</li>
<li>.3 tsp Mixed Spice</li>
<li>2 tsp Ground Coriander</li>
<li>400g Puy Lentils</li>
<li>½ bag Garden Peas</li>
<li>½ bag Spinach</li>

Instructions

Peeling the butternut squash is an utter chore and almost put me off making this, I wish you luck and hope your knife is sharp.

1. Cook the onions until soft and golden, add the garlic, ginger, chili for another minute then the butternut squash, tomatoes and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the spices, mix well and cook for another couple of minutes
3. Shake the coconut milk well before opening and add it. Cover the pan the cook on a low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the peas and drained lentils, cook for another 10 minutes
5. Remove from the heat, squeeze the juice from a lime, stir in fresh coriander and the spinach

If you want a bit more heat, add some more chili during the second step. If it’s too hot, or a bit dry then stir in a bit of natural yoghurt

It turned out pretty well, although a bit plain. It really needed the extra coriander and lime to give it a kick, i’d be tempted to add even more chili next time.

I was impressed with how “meaty” the dish is, it’s a solid meal and nice on a cold winter evening (and it’s vegan to boot).