Back
Red Lentil Dahl w/ Butternut Squash & Cinnamon
4.9 from 150 votes

Red Lentil Dahl w/ Butternut Squash & Cinnamon

This red lentil dahl features tender cooked lentils combined with butternut squash, flavored with warming spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and curry powder. Garlic, ginger, and celery add aromatic depth, while canned tomatoes and a mild curry create a comforting stew with a balance of savory and sweet notes.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 cup red lentils
  • 1 2/4 cup squash diced
  • 1/5 cup celery
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 5 ginger thin slices
  • 4/5 cup tomato canned
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1 cinnamon stick or to taste of cinnamon powder, or half a teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom
  • 1 tsp sunflower oil or other vegetable oil
  • salt
  • black pepper

Instructions

Cooked lentils:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Rinse the lentils thoroughly to wash away any debris.
  2. In a small pot, add the lentils and 2–3 cups of water—this ensures that you won’t have to strain the lentils after cooking. Boil the lentils for about 20 minutes.
  3. After boiling the lentils, add a teaspoon of curry powder and salt to taste.
Dhal:
  1. Slice the garlic, ginger, and apio.
  2. In a wok, heat the oil and add the sliced garlic and ginger for flavor.
  3. After roasting the garlic and ginger, add the squash, apio, cardamom, and cinnamon stick.
  4. Add the canned tomatoes and enough water just to cover the squash.
  5. Boil everything until the water evaporates. Check if the squash is cooked—if you can pierce it with a fork, it is ready! Add salt and pepper to taste.
Plating:
  1. You can either mix the squash and the lentils or place them separately on the plate.

Notes