Slow cooker butternut squash dhal

Dhal, daal, dal – however you want to spell it, it’s one of my favourite veggie options when I order a takeaway. Creamy lentils, garlic, sweetness – it’s proper comfort food. I decided to whip one up to use up a butternut squash I’d had in the fridge for, er, 3 weeks – and it turned out surprisingly fantastic!

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
1 big white onion
2 cups red lentils
3 cups veggie stock (I used Marigold Swiss Bouillon Powder)
4 cloves garlic (or 2 teaspoons minced garlic)
Big piece of grated ginger (or 3 teaspoons minced ginger)
1 tablespoon medium curry powder
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspooons turmeric
1 tin coconut milk
3 small tomatoes
Big pinch of salt

Prep could not be easier – peel your butternut squash (alright, this part sucks, if you can get pre-chopped frozen squash it’d be just as good), chop your onion and tomatoes, then add literally everything to your slow cooker.

I cooked my dhal on high for 2 hours, then low for a further 5 hours. I also kept looking at it and smelling it, which you’re not meant to do, but it was making the flat smell delicious, so what’s a girl to do?

This recipe makes an absolute boatload of dhal, enough for at least 3 large takeaway containers. around 8-10 servings. I served mine as an accompaniment to an easy-peasy 5-ingredient tikka, using meat-free chicken pieces:

Ingredients:
1 packet Plant Pioneers Meat-Free Pieces
1 onion
3 heaped teaspoons tikka paste
2 teaspoons tomato paste
Big handful frozen peas

Chop onion into large pieces, fry in oil for 10 mins until soft. Add tikka paste, then add frozen pieces. Add peas and tomato paste, mix all together and put lid on, turn heat down to medium and cook until the pieces are cooked through – around 15 mins in total. Along with some wild rice, it was delicious!

Enjoy x