3 Reasons why its heart healthy:
- Lentils are a great source of fibre. A diet rich in fibre helps to keep your digestive system healthy and supports healthy cholesterol levels.
- This recipe uses turmeric which has an anti-inflammatory action and can support heart health.
- Pumpkin is a rich source of many vitamins and minerals. One of which is potassium, which plays a role in blood pressure regulation. Regularly consuming pumpkin can help support healthy blood pressure.
Pumpkin Dhal
A delicious and comforting autumnal recipe, using traditional Indian spices and fibre-packed red lentils. Perfect served with either rice or naan or hearty enough to be enjoyed by itself.
Servings
4
servingsPrep time
20
minutesCooking time
40
minutesIngredients
1 x large onion
1 x 1 small cooking pumpkin, can swap with 1 small butternut squash (500g flesh needed once chopped)
2 x medium tomatoes
4 x cloves of garlic
3 cm piece of ginger
225 g red split lentils
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
750 ml low salt vegetable stock
3 tbsp fresh coriander
Directions
- First prepare all your vegetables. Start by finely dicing the onion and chopping the pumpkin into 2cm chunks. Dice the tomatoes, peel and crush the garlic and peel and grate the ginger.
- Add 1 tbsp of the olive oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pan and put on a medium heat. Once hot, fry the onion until golden brown. Whilst the onion is cooking, add the other 1 tbsp of olive oil to a frying pan and cook the pumpkin over a medium heat, tossing frequently until the chunks are golden.
- Once the onion is cooked, add the tomatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes before adding all the spices, garlic and ginger. Cook the mixture for 2 more minutes until the spices release their aroma.
- Rinse the lentils in a sieve and add them to the onion mixture, along with the sautéed pumpkin.
- Add the stock and bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until the lentils and pumpkin are both tender.
- Whilst everything is cooking, chop the coriander.
- Serve the dal with your choice of side, topped with the fresh coriander.
