Pumpkin Dahl
Pumpkin season is fast approaching and if you live in the northern hemisphere its starting to get cold so this pumpkin dal is the perfect dish to make right now.
Dal is an Indian spiced lentil dish that is comforting, cheap and easy to make.
The addition of pumpkin brings a slight sweetness, makes the dish more filling and is a great extra nutrient boost.
The lentils themselves don’t carry much flavour so this recipe features a ‘tadka’ which is spices briefly cooked in butter and this is drizzled on top of the dahl to give it a deep rich flavour.
You can serve pumpkin dal as a side dish with a protein, with some naan or rice or you can even eat it by itself.
This dal dish is the perfect winter warmer when you just need something to warm you from the inside out.
Best lentils for dahl
For a good dahl you need lentils that will cook down to give the creamy texture. The red lentils or masoor dahl are perfect for this.
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You should make this pumpkin dal because its
Comforting- We all need a hug in a bowl sometimes in autumn/winter and a dal is the perfect answer. The addition of pumpkin as a seasonal vegetable makes this dal extra special.
Cheap- Red lentils are a very accessible and cheap ingredient in most countries. They are also quick cook lentils that are shelf stable so it’s handy to keep a bag in the pantry to whip up a quick dal.
Easy- Making dal is beginner friendly you just add everything into a pan and leave to simmer.
Flavor packed- The dal is flavored with aromatics such as ginger, garlic and onion and Indian spices making it a very flavorful dish.
Notes on the ingredients-
- Pumpkin - Fresh pumpkin is best for this recipe but you can use canned unsweetened pumpkin if you are unable to get fresh.
- Red lentils - Red lentils or masoor dal are the best for this as they go soft and turn more soupy when cooked through. Other lentils will hold their shape too well which isn’t the consistency were looking for.
- Onion - yellow or white onion is great for this dish. You can also use red onion or shallot but they may alter the color
- Garlic - Fresh or minced from a jar
- Ginger paste - Fresh or minced from a jar
- Tomato – Tinned or fresh are both fine for this dish.
- Spices - Turmeric, Cumin, Garam masala, Kashmiri chili powder.
- Vegan butter - Or oil.
How to make red lentil dahl
- Cut the pumpkin into cubes
- Drizzle oil
- Bake until soft
- Wash the lentils
- Dice the tomato and onion
- Add the lentils, pumpkin, tomato, onion and turmeric to a pan with water
- Cook lentil mix until broken down
- Melt the butter and add the tadka ingredients
- Drizzle the tadka onto the lentils, add pumpkin cubes and you're done!
Pumpkin dal
Ingredients
For the dahl-
- 200 g Fresh pumpkin
- 200 g Dried red lentils
- 1 Yellow onion
- 1 Salad tomato
- 2 Cloves garlic
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Salt
For the tadka-
- 50 g Vegan butter
- 2 Cloves garlic
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp Cumin powder
- 1 tsp Garam masala
- 1 tsp salt
For the topping
- 200 g Pumpkin
- Drizzle of olive oil
Instructions
- Rinse the lentils until the water turns clear.
- Peel and dice the pumpkin into small equal sized cubes.
- Dice the onion and tomato and mince the garlic.
- Add all of the dahl ingredients into a large sauce pan with 800ml water.
- Bring to a boil then simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring and checking that its not burning a few times in the process.
- Heat the oven to 200C/390F.
- Meanwhile make the topping by adding the other half of the diced pumpkin to a baking tray, drizzle with oil and bake for 25 minutes turning half way.
- Mash any big bits in the dahl with a potato masher and once a soupy consistency is achieved you’re ready to make the tadka.
- Melt the butter in a pan then add the rest of the ingredients and cook on medium heat for 30 seconds.
- Serve the dahl topped with the tadka and the roasted pumpkin cubes.
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