Effortless dinners: Butternut Squash and Hummus Dahl

Cornwall-based food writer Amy Sheppard’s everyday essential cookbook uses staple ingredients to give 100 new reasons to love cooking dinner. Words By Amy Sheppard

Butternut Squash and Hummus Dahl

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Oil, for frying

1 small butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2–3cm (3⁄4–11⁄4in) cubes

1 red onion, finely sliced

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

300g (101⁄2 oz) dried red lentils, rinsed

400g (14 oz) can coconut milk

400g (14 oz) can chopped tomatoes

700ml (24fl oz/3 cups) vegetable stock

180g (61⁄4 oz) red (bell) pepper hummus

2 tbsp milk

fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves (optional)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, lidded, non-stick saucepan. Add the butternut squash cubes and red onion and fry over a medium heat for 5 minutes, turning regularly.

Stir in the spices and the garlic and fry for 1 minute, stirring continuously.

Add the rinsed red lentils, coconut milk, tomatoes and vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper, stir thoroughly and bring to the boil. Place the lid on the pan and simmer over a medium heat for 25 minutes. Take the lid off, give it another good stir and simmer for a further 5 minutes until the lentils and squash are tender. Stir in 90g (3oz) of hummus.

Divide between 4 bowls. Mix the remaining hummus with the milk and drizzle over the dahl. Finish with ground black pepper and fresh coriander, if you like.

TIPS & SWAPS

Use ready-prepped butternut squash cubes for an even easier dinner.

You can omit the hummus to make this. It’s less creamy, but still lovely without.

Make extra and freeze into portions as this makes a really good lunch on busy autumn days when you need something warming.

If you’ve always wanted to try making dahl, this is an easy cheat’s version, a stripped-back recipe with butternut squash for texture and red pepper hummus for creaminess!

It’s a quick way to add incredible flavour and has a lovely thick consistency. Serve as is, or with rice if you want it to go further.