If cooking in a slow cooker it is worth preparing the ingredients as described below rather then just throwing everything together in the pot, it really will enhance the flavours.
Ingredients
600g Pumpkin, approximate weight once you have peeled and de-seeded, sliced into large chunks
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Brown mustard seeds
2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tbsp Groundnut oil
1 Onion, peeled and chopped
4 Garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
250g Red lentils, soaked for 30 minutes and refreshed in cold water
3 tsp Curry powder, I use hot but you can use a medium one if you wish
1 tsp Garam masala
1 tsp Turmeric
2 tsp Brown sugar
50ml concentrated vegetable stock
1/2 inch Ginger, peeled and chopped
150ml Water (if cooking on the stove)
Method – Slow cooker
Heat the oven to gas mark 5 (190c/375f). Lay the pumpkin out on a baking tray and sprinkle over the salt and olive oil. Roast for 25 minutes to start to develop the flavour. Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle, then chop roughly into 2cm cubes.
While the pumpkin is roasting you can start to prepare the other ingredients.
Dry fry the mustard and cumin seeds in a frying pan over the stove, set aside, then add the groundnut oil to the pan and soften the onions and garlic, pour into the slow cooker.
Add all the other ingredients to the slow cooker including the toasted seeds and chopped pumpkin.
Cook for 8 hours on medium, or until the lentils have gone quite soft.
Try not to lift the lid too often to stir, but do check that it has not gone too dry, if it has then add extra water.
Method – Stove top
Prepare the pumpkin as above.
Dry fry the mustard and cumin seeds in a frying pan over the stove, set aside.
Heat the groundnut oil in a heavy based pan and soften the onions and garlic. Add all the other ingredients to the pan including the toasted seeds, chopped pumpkin and water then bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer a cook for 30 minutes or until the lentils have gone quite soft. Stirring regularly to ensure it is does not dry out, adding more water if necessary.
I’d like to try this recipe with butternut squash instead of pumpkin, if you do then please note you may not need to add as much sugar.
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