Recipes › Squash & Pumpkin › Pumpkin Dhal with Crispy Shallots and Curry Leaf Butter
Pumpkin Dhal with Crispy Shallots and Curry Leaf Butter
A deeply comforting South Indian-inspired dhal where pumpkin is cooked down into the lentils until it becomes almost part of the sauce itself — adding a natural sweetness that balances the tamarind and spices perfectly. Finished with a sizzling tarka of curry leaves, mustard seeds and crispy fried shallots, this is weeknight food that tastes like you spent the whole afternoon on it. Serve with flatbreads or plain basmati rice and something green.
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Ingredients
- 700 g pumpkin or crown prince squash, peeled, deseeded, cut into 2cm cubesor use butternut squash
- 250 g red split lentils, rinsed well
- 3 tbsp coconut oilor use sunflower oil
- 1 white onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 3 cm fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 400 g chopped tomatoes
- 900 ml vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 shallots, thinly sliced into rings
- 15 fresh curry leavesdried curry leaves work at a pinch, but fresh are far better
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 15 g fresh coriander, roughly chopped (optional)
Contains: mustard, nuts, soya.
Method
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 8 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened and starting to turn golden at the edges.About 8 min
- Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 1 minute until fragrant, then add the turmeric, cumin, ground coriander and chilli flakes. Stir everything together for another minute so the spices toast slightly in the oil.About 2 min
- Add the pumpkin cubes, rinsed lentils, chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock. Stir well, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until the lentils have completely dissolved into the liquid and the pumpkin is completely tender. If the dhal thickens too quickly, add a splash of water.About 25 min
- Stir in the tamarind paste and season with the salt. Taste and adjust — you may want a little more tamarind for sharpness or a pinch more salt. Reduce the heat to very low while you make the tarka.
- For the tarka, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a small frying pan over a high heat. Add the sliced shallots and fry, stirring constantly, for 4–5 minutes until deep golden and crispy. Reduce to medium, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves — they will splutter, so stand back — and fry for 30 seconds until the mustard seeds pop.About 5 min
- Pour the sizzling tarka immediately over the dhal. Scatter with fresh coriander if using and serve straight away with rice or flatbreads.
Tips
- Don't rush the onion in step 1 — that golden colour is the foundation of the flavour. Eight minutes is the minimum.
- Crown prince squash holds its shape a little better than pumpkin once cooked, giving you distinct pieces in the finished dhal rather than everything breaking down completely. Both are delicious; it just depends what texture you prefer.
- The tarka must go on at the last moment — the whole point is the contrast between the sizzling hot oil and the warm dhal.
Ring the changes
- Add a 400g tin of coconut milk in place of 400ml of the stock for a richer, creamier version.
- Stir in a large handful of washed spinach (about 80g) in the final 2 minutes of cooking for extra green.
Keeping it
Keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The dhal thickens considerably as it cools — loosen with a splash of water when reheating. Freezes well for up to 3 months.
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