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Lentils with pumpkin (kadu dalcha)
Serves 8 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 1½tsp tamarind pulp
- 200g pink lentils (masoor dal)
- 100g split Bengal gram (chana dal)
- 1tsp red chilli powder
- 1½tsp turmeric powder
- 3tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 4cm piece of peeled ginger, chopped
- 2 green chillies, chopped
- 250g peeled and chopped
- pumpkin or butternut squash
- 250g chopped coriander leaves
- ½tsp garam masala powder
For the dressing
- 2tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- ½tsp cumin seeds
- 2 dried or fresh chillies, broken
- or cut into 3-4 pieces (optional)
- 12-15 whole curry or coriander leaves
Method
Soak the tamarind in 200ml water for 30 minutes. Wash both kinds of lentils and soak together in a bowl of cold water for 20 minutes, then stand the bowl under the cold tap and wash the pulses thoroughly using your fingers. Drain the lentils and cook them together for 1 hour in 1 litre of simmering water with the chilli and 1tsp turmeric.
Meanwhile, heat the oil and fry the onion until light brown, then add ½tsp salt, the remaining ½tsp turmeric and the garlic, ginger, green chillies, pumpkin or squash and 100ml water. Simmer until the pumpkin is tender. When the lentils have cooked for an hour, take off the heat, season with 1tsp salt and beat smooth. Add to the pumpkin mixture and cook until the pumpkin is very soft, then beat everything in the pan together.
Press the tamarind pulp to squeeze its flavour into the soaking liquid, then mix the liquid into the dal, bring it back to the boil, check the seasoning, add the chopped coriander leaves and garam masala and transfer to a serving dish. Heat the oil for the dressing in a small pan or ladle. When it is very hot, add the garlic, cumin seeds and chillies. Sizzle until the chillies darken in colour, then pour over the dal and scatter with the whole curry or coriander leaves.
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