Butternut Squash Dal

As I mentioned before, I’ve been trying to eat extra healthy before the holiday gluttony begins.  To update you on how that little “cleanse” is going…it’s going ok.  I did have a few chocolate chip cookies and indulged with some treats that Annie made over the weekend, but for the most part as long as I’m home, I’m doing pretty well.  I’ve definitely curbed the candy addiction for now.  I just have an appetite to boot.

I wanted to have something filling and “comfort” food-esque, so I came up with the idea of a gluten-free/vegan Butternut Squash Dal accompanied with millet and broccoli.  It’s savory, creamy, and filling.  You can imagine the thrill of excitement I felt from the males in my life when I announced that this was the dish for dinner.  Suprisingly, they both ate it and didn’t complain.  I consider that a victory.

I decided it would be nice for the blog about halfway in to preparing it… so I don’t have pics of the first few steps…(oh, and please forgive the blurry iPhone photography…)

Butternut Squash Dal (Gluten Free/Vegan)

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(Serves 4-6) Prep time 10 minutes. Cook time 4 hours.

Ingredients

• 1 cup red lentils
• 1/2 cup green lentils
• 1 1/2 cups cubed butternut squash (about 1″ cubes)
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1-2 tbsp coconut or olive oil

 

In a pan on medium heat, saute onion, garlic and red bell pepper in oil for 5 minutes, until edges of onions begin to brown.  Then add saute mixture to crock-pot.

Rinse lentils and add lentils and broth to the vegetable mixture in the crock-pot.

Next, add a can of coconut milk.

Oops, don’t forget the butternut squash…

Cook on high for 2 hours, stirring occasionally (not absolutely necessary if you have to leave to run errands or whatever…).  Then turn it down to low and cook for a remaining 2-3 hours.

Cooking Tip: (This part is going to sound crazy).  Once mixture is cooked, turn off crock-pot and add the frozen peas.  The Dal is usually at an ungodly temperature and the peas will help to cool it down slightly while the already hot mixture will cook the peas…but not beyond recognition.  I also don’t add salt to my Dal until I serve it.  I find that I use less than I otherwise would.

Add the Dal over cooked millet, quinoa, or brown rice.  Sprinkle with fresh parsley, Herbamare, and cayenne pepper (if you want a kick).

And since this kind of dish is always better on day 2–make enough for leftovers.  I used Caitlin’s method for freezing brown rice to freeze my millet in the zipper baggies.

 

Do you like Dal?  Or is this kind of thing totally out of your comfort zone?  What are your cooking tips for healthy comfort food?

Tagged as: butternut squash, comfort food, Dal, dinner, ethnic, Red Pepper

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