A delicious and healthy, vegan lentil curry – filled with roasted squash, peppers and spinach. Easy to make and freezes really well – making it an great as an emergency meal. We love the mouth-watering aromas of the curry spices as they fill the kitchen. Gorgeously thick, creamy and satisfying.
Cooking time – 1 hour
Serves 4
Ingredients
400ml tin of coconut milk
1 medium butternut squash
3 cloves of garlic
300g of tinned lentils
1 tbsp. of rapeseed oil
1 large onion
1 tbsp. of garam masala
1 tsp. of turmeric powder
1 tsp. of ground cumin
1 tsp. of ground coriander
1 cinnamon stick
2 tbsp. of tomato puree
1 red pepper
100g creamed coconut
250ml coconut cream
100g of almond flakes, lightly toasted
100g fresh spinach leaves
Fresh coriander
Fresh red chilli
Method
Heat the oven to 200 °C
Cover a baking tray in baking parchment. Thoroughly wash and dry the butternut squash then lay it on its side and cut into 2cm thick slices. Place the slices on the baking paper, cover each slice with a brush of rapeseed oil then place the 3 garlic cloves on the tray. Place on the middle shelf of the oven and cook for 25 minutes. Once cooked remove from the oven and set to one side.
Put the almond flakes into a dry frying pan and gently heat until they start to just turn golden in colour. Keep them moving so that they do not burn. Remove from heat.
In a large (ideally flat bottomed) pan, pour in 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil and warm over a gentle heat. Add the chopped onions and allow to soften for a few minutes, spoon in the tomato puree and stir into the onions, cook for a further 3 minutes.
Now add the garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder and ground turmeric. Stir into the onions until there is a strong spiced aroma. At this point tip in the lentils and stir through the onions and spices.
Peel and slice the roasted garlic then add to the pan with the peppers, coconut cream, creamed coconut (this might take longer to melt into the lentil curry) and stir in.
Pour over the tin of coconut milk. Stir through and then add the cinnamon stick and 3/4s of the toasted flaked almonds. Keep stirring whilst you bring the curry to a gentle simmer. Leave a spoon in the pan and rest the lid over the curry. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the curry doesn’t stick.
Meanwhile roughly chop the fresh spinach leaves and slice the roasted squash into cubes.
After 15 minutes stir in the butternut squash and the spinach, replace the spoon, lid and cook for a further 10 minutes, until the spinach leaves are soft. Chop a handful of fresh coriander and stir through.
The lentil curry should have a thick, creamy texture.
Serve the roast squash and lentil curry with rice, a scattering of toasted almond flakes, fresh chillies and more fresh coriander leaves. Once cooled the lentil curry can be frozen in portions.
