Curried Pumpkin Dahl

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

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Pumpkin and black-eyed peas are widely used in South Indian cooking. We’ve combined them here in a spicy dhal stew. For a traditional Indian meal, serve the dhal warm or at room temperature over basmati rice. Accompany with chapati or papadam (Indian flat breads).

Ingredients

1 medium yellow onion, quartered

1/4 cup (25g) grated coconut

3 cloves garlic, sliced

2 serrano or Thai chile peppers, seeded and diced

1 Tbsp (7g) fresh ginger root, minced

2 tsp (10mL) garam masala

1 tsp (2g) ground cumin

1/2 tsp (1g) cinnamon

1 tsp (6g) salt (sea salt if on a corn-free diet*)

1/4 tsp (1g) turmeric

1/4 tsp (0.5g) ground coriander

2 cups (240mL) light chicken or vegetable stock or water*

1 Tbsp (15mL) canola oil

2 cups (400g) tomatoes, diced

4 cups (230g) fresh pumpkin (1 small pie pumpkin), peeled and diced

2 cups (360g) cooked black-eyed peas

2 cups (70g) kale or spinach, chopped

3 Tbsp (5g) mint, minced

Directions

Combine onion, coconut, garlic, chile peppers, ginger root, garam masala, cumin, cinnamon, salt, turmeric, coriander and 3 Tbsp (45mL) stock in a blender. Puree mixture to a paste, scraping down the sides of the blender beaker as necessary.

Heat oil in a large saucepan, then add the spice paste and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add remaining stock, tomatoes and pumpkin. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until squash is just tender, about 20 minutes.

Mix in black-eyed peas and kale. Continue to cook, stirring often, until kale is tender, about 10 more minutes. Remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasonings; stir in the mint just before serving.

* Allergy notes: People following a corn-free diet should avoid iodized salt since it contains dextrose, which should be avoided by those allergic to corn. If you are allergic to soy, be sure the broth you choose is soy-free, as broths frequently contain hydrolized vegetable protein from soy.