Want a dhal-icious meal that is healthy, cheap, easy to make, filling, uses one pot and also freezes well? Well look no further than this lentil, squash, kale dhal recipe! It is fragrant from spices including the immune boosting super spice turmeric and it also delivers a good punch of fibre and plant-based protein. It is my latest favourite curry recipe to date (and we have eaten it solidly for the past 2 weeks!). It is super-tasty and a great way to get more turmeric into your diet.

You have sweet tender chunks of sweet potato and squash, contrasting with the comforting red lentils and aromatic spices mixed with juicy bites of tomato and fresh kale. Nom nom!

I love to serve this delicious dhal with a dollop of cool creamy yoghurt, fresh fragrant coriander and toasted wholemeal chapattis or flatbreads for some crispy crunch. If you want to serve this dish to children, you may want to tone down on the spices, notably the chilli, but in our household, this dish is popular all round as it is, including with the little ones.

Serves: 4-5

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 22-26 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 large red onion, diced
• 3 plump garlic cloves, minced
• Thumb sized piece of ginger, chopped finely
• 2 celery sticks, diced
• 1/2-3/4 tsp. chilli powder (to taste!)
• 2 tsp. Vitalising Superpower or turmeric
• 2 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• 6-10 curry leaves
• 1 large sweet potato (300g peeled weight), cubes; 1.5cm chunks
• 1/3 large squash, peeled and diced in 1.5cm chunks
• 200g red lentils
• 750ml stock
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 60g kale, stems removed, chopped roughly

Optional: 2 tbsp. protein powder (you need 100ml more stock is using). Soya bean, pea and whey varieties work well.

Method:

1. On a low-medium heat and in a large non-stick pot, sauté the chopped onion, garlic, ginger and celery for 3-4 mins
2. Add spices and curry leaves stir for 1-2 mins. Do not allow the spices to burn otherwise the curry will taste bitter.
3. Add the chunks of sweet potato, squash, red lentils, stock, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer on a low-medium heat for 18-20 mins until lentils and vegetables are cooked and soft and the stock reduced.
4. Five mins before end of cooking time, add the halved cherry tomatoes, kale plus protein powder if using. Taste to see if more seasoning is required.
5. Serve with a dollop of yoghurt (plant-based if required), fresh coriander. Enjoy!

Don’t forget you can find my favourite recipes in my FREE eBook here.