Butternut Squash Dal
Serves: four for dinner
 
Ingredients
Soup base:
  • ½ butternut squash, roasted (include seeds) about 1½#
  • 1½ cups pigeon peas (AKA toor dal) cooked in about 5 cups water
  • 1 tsp. turmeric
  • 2 tsp. coriander
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped (about a pound)
  • 5 medium cloves garlic, minced (about a tablespoon)
  • fresh ginger, minced (0.3 oz., about ⅓ oz.)
  • 1 medium tomato, rough-chopped (about ½#)
  • salt to taste
  • 2 Tbsp. Trader Joe's Buffalo Ghee (or regular ghee)
Tadka:
  • 2 tsp. cumin seeds
  • ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
Squash seeds:
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ tsp. sumac (optional)
  • ½ tsp. paprika
Coriander garnish:
  • about ½ oz. fresh coriander leaves, chopped
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
  2. Cut a small or medium butternut squash in half, scoop out and reserve seeds.
  3. Cut squash into ¾" thick half-rings, then cut each half-ring into several smaller pieces.
  4. Mix seeds with olive oil, sumac, and paprika (or other spices of choice).
  5. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  6. Place squash pieces and seeds on baking sheet.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes at 400.
  8. Meanwhile put pigeon peas, coriander, and turmeric in a pot with 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then simmer 30 minutes.
  9. Chop onions, mince garlic, peel and mince ginger.
  10. Melt ghee in large frying pan, add chopped garlic and ginger and saute for about 2 minutes.
  11. Add chopped onion and saute for about ten minutes.
  12. Add chopped tomato and saute for another few minutes.
  13. Blend the squash with half of the sauteed vegetables and half of the cooked pigeon pea mixture.
  14. Mix the blended portion back into the pot with the rest and simmer for another ten minutes.
  15. Salt to taste.
  16. Chop the fresh coriander.
  17. Heat last Tbsp. of ghee, add the red pepper flakes and cumin seeds and let sizzle briefly (about a minute) to make the tadka (spice garnish).
  18. Stir the coriander into the soup, reserving a little for the garnish.
  19. Serve soup, top with tadka (as desired for extra spiciness), squash seeds, and coriander.
Recipe by Fit and Fed at http://fitandfed.net/2017/05/26/butternut-squash-dal/