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Roasted Squash and Lentil Curry

5 from 1 vote

Full of flavour, filling and healthy.  This Roasted Squash and Lentil Curry is a warming and delicious dish that will just make you feel great about comfort food without the guilt.

Close up of Roasted Squash and Lentil Curry.
Spiced Lentil and Squash Curry

Friends, we’re heading into that time of year where comforting dishes will be welcomed by us all. If you’re an avid reader of the blog, you’ll remember that the “ber” months are my favourite!

We’re looking forward to all the comfort food. Dishes like our family favourite Chicken & Leek Pie and so many warming soups like the Slow Cooker Tomato Soup made with Fresh Tomatoes are more than welcomed this time of year.

Roasted Squash and Lentil Curry in a bowl.
Roasted Squash and Lentil Curry

Ingredients

  • Squash – I used butternut squash for this recipe. These are easy to cook and add a nice sweetness.
  • Lentils – To make things easy, I used precooked brown lentils.
  • Onion – White, brown or yellow onions work well. In this recipe I used a yellow onion.
  • Spices – I used a mix of dried chili flakes, ground coriander, turmeric and garam masala.
  • Garlic – I prefer to use fresh garlic and this recipe used minced garlic cloves.
  • Oil – Olive oil works great for this recipe.
  • Vinegar – Balsamic vinegar adds a little sharpness to the dish
  • Sugar – I added a small amount to brown sugar to balance out the flavours of the spices and vinegar.
  • Salt – Just a pinch of salt is all this recipe needs to help bring out the flavours.
  • Broth/stock – This recipe used a 1/2 of a vegetable stock cube mixed with boiling water.
  • Garnish- Fresh coriander works really well to add a touch of freshness.

REMEMBER, The full recipe and instructions is always found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

Ingredients on a board to make the squash and lentil curry.
Ingredients to make the Lentil and Squash Curry

Instructions

  1. Roast squash – Preheat your oven to 375 degrees f/190 degrees c. Place the diced squash in a baking dish and drizzle over 1 tablespoon of olive oil, turmeric and 1 teaspoon of the ground coriander. Stir to coat completely. Roast for approximately 30 minutes, turning half way through cooking. Remove from oven and set aside.
  2. Sautee onion – In a large skillet, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil and add the garlic. Cook over a high heat for about a minute. Add the onions and stir well. Continue cooking over a high heat for about 2 minutes until the onions start to brown. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook the onions until they are soft, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add seasonings and lentils – Add the chili flakes, ground coriander and Garam masala. Stir well to infuse the flavours. Add the lentils, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Stir really well to combine the flavours.
  4. Add stock and squash – Pour in the vegetable stock and the roasted squash. Stir, reduce heat to low and allow to cook for a further 15 minutes, until most of the stock has evaporated and the squash is cooked through.
  5. Garnish and serve – Remove from heat, garnish with fresh coriander and serve.

Recipe Notes

  • Time saving – This recipe has a roasting part and a stove top part. It’s important to cook your squash first as it takes the longest. I like to get the stove part of the cooking done while the squash is roasting.
  • Measure spices correctly – The spices used in this dish have strong flavours. Please, make sure to measure correctly so your dish isn’t over powering.
  • Don’t over cook the squash – squash falls apart when it’s roasted for too long. So although we want the squash to be soft we won’t want it to be mushy. Mine cooked to a little firm at 30 minutes. Remember, it finishes cooking in the broth on the stove top.
Close up of lentils and squash.
Roasted Butternut Squash with Lentils

Substitutions

  • Butternut squashI love butternut squash but you can always use other types of squash for this recipe. You can use spaghetti squash, acorn squash or Delicata squash interchangeably for this dish.
  • Lentils – There are many varieties of lentils. I used a jar of cooked brown lentils for this dish, but you can use uncooked brown lentils for this recipe. Keep in mind cooking brown lentils will take about 30 minutes.
Squash and lentils in two bowls on a wooden board.
Squash with Spiced Lentils

What to Serve with This Dish

This is a warming and comforting dish and would go great with any kind of bread. I’d recommend the Stove Top Nann Bread or the Flatbread Pizza Dough Recipe. And on the side Tzatziki would be great for dipping the bread.

Roasted butternut squash and lentils in a bowl.
Butternut squash and lentils

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need to soak lentils?

Unlike many other larger legumes, lentils do not need to be soaked. If you are cooking your own lentils, just rinse the dry lentils and then cook them for approximately 30 minutes.

Roasted butternut squash and lentils in a bowl.
Lentils and Roasted Butternut Squash

Roasted butternut squash and lentils in a bowl.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Roasted Squash and Lentil Curry

Full of flavour, filling and healthy.  This Roasted Squash & Lentil Curry is a warming and delicious dish that will just make you feel great about comfort food without the guilt.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: lentils, vegeterian
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 583kcal
Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

  • 1/2 Butternut Squash cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 3 cup lentils cooked
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • Small bunch of fresh coriander roughly chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 375 degrees f/190 degrees c. Place the diced squash in a baking dish and drizzle over 1 tablespoon of olive oil, turmeric and 1 teaspoon of the ground coriander. Stir to coat completely. Roast for approximately 30 minutes, turning half way through cooking. Remove from oven and set aside.
  • In a large skillet, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil and add the garlic. Cook over a high heat for about a minute. Add the onions and stir well. Continue cooking over a high heat for about 2 minutes until the onions start to brown. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook the onions until they are soft, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the chili flakes, ground coriander and Garam masala. Stir well to infuse the flavours. Add the lentils, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Stir really well to combine the flavours.
  • Pour in the vegetable stock and the roasted squash. Stir, reduce heat to low and allow to cook for a further 15 minutes, until most of the stock has evaporated and the squash is cooked through.
  • Remove from heat, garnish with fresh coriander and serve.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Notes

As roasting times vary from oven to oven, check your squash as it is cooking so it doesn’t go too soft.  Otherwise, when you stir it into the lentils it will most likely become mashed squash.  You want it cooked but still holding its form.
Nutrition Facts
Roasted Squash and Lentil Curry
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 583 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Sodium 490mg21%
Potassium 1784mg51%
Carbohydrates 98g33%
Fiber 47g196%
Sugar 11g12%
Protein 34g68%
Vitamin A 10347IU207%
Vitamin C 29mg35%
Calcium 147mg15%
Iron 12mg67%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You soon!

By on September 8th, 2022
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