Curried Red Lentil Stew

Curried Red Lentil Stew

By Debbie Passey

(I would say these amounts serve 3 adults. You may want to double it anyway so you don't have 1/2 of a butternut squash sitting around...)

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 pinch fenugreek seeds (It won’t ruin the stew if you leave it out)
1 cup dry red lentils (any variety of lentil will do though)
2 cups butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cubed (about half of a whole squash) (Cube the whole thing and freeze the rest to use later for babyfood, roasted veggies or the next time you make this recipe)
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro (you MUST have this herb- it makes the whole dish)
2 cups water
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
6 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pinch ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste (a good Tbs of salt is a must)

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, and cook the onion, ginger, garlic, and fenugreek until onion is tender.

2. Mix the lentils, squash, and cilantro into the pot. Stir in the water, coconut milk, and tomato paste. Season with curry powder, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, or until lentils and squash are tender. (Mash the squash cubes for a more consistent texture.)

Its very thick so you could serve it over basamati rice if you want to make some or with naan bread (available with the frozen foods)