Contributed by (Recipe adapted from “Foodie Site” at www.foodiesite.com)

Ingredients

Lentil Curry:

1 Tbs Oil or butter
1 tsp Cumin
1 Tbs Coriander
1 tsp Tumeric
1/2 Tbs Ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 Garlic clove, finely chopped
1 green Chilies, finely chopped
1/4 C Red lentils
1/4 C Yellow lentils
1 C Pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and chopped into 3cm cubes
1/2 C natural Yogurt
1/2 Tbs Tomato paste
2 Curry leaves
1 Cardamon pods
1/2 Cinnamon stick
2 C Spinach, washed and trimmed
1/2 Tbs Honey
1/2 tsp Salt, crushed
juice of 1/2 a Lime

Baked Gem Squash:
2 Gem squash
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Ginger powder
25g butter

Instructions

Lentil Curry: Heat the oil or butter in a saucepan until hot. Add all the dry spices and fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute until aromatic. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and green chillies, cook them over a moderate heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the rinsed lentils and coat them well with the spices and herbs. Stir in the yogurt and then 1 C of water, add the curry leaves, cardamon pods and cinnamon stick. Bring the curry to a strong simmer, reduce to low temperature and cook slowly for 20 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the pumpkin cubes and allow the curry to cook for a further 20-30 minutes. If the curry is too dry, add a little more water or yogurt. The curry is cooked when the lentils are mushy and the pumpkin is soft. Add the spinach and stir until wilted – about 1-2 minutes. Remove the curry leaves, cardamon pods and cinnamon stick. Season the curry with a little salt and stir in the lime juice, honey and remaining coriander. Keep warm until ready to serve or cool and refrigerate in a well sealed container until ready to reheat (the curry is good cooked a day or two in advance as it allows the flavours to develop)

Gem Squash: Cut off the tops of the squashes and scoop out all the seeds, rub the inside surface of them with the oil and spices and place with their lids on in an oven preheated to 350°F and allow to cook for 30-40 minutes, basting them halfway through the cooking period, until they are soft but still hold their shape. Keep them warm until ready to serve or cool and place covered in the refrigerator until ready to reheat.

To Serve: Fill hot cooked gem squashes with the lentil curry. Garnish it with cashew nuts and coriander leaves.
* The pumpkin can be replaced with carrots, sweet potato, celeraic, parsnip or your choice of root vegetable.

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