Lentil curry with Butternut Squash ( Butternut squash sambhar)

Fall, the season for soups and squash. I always used to associate butternut squash with something sweet, until I tried this sambhar at a friends place. Butternut squash is hard to chop, so if you can buy it already cut it saves you half the time. This sambhar is very easy to make does not require any fancy ingredients. I hope you enjoy it with some hot steaming rice and potatoes , dont forget to add a dollop of ghee .

Butternut squash sambhar 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Toor daal (split pigeon peas)
Butternut squash chopped into cubes about 1 cup
2 Green chili's slit into half
1/2 Onion chopped finely
1-2 Tomatoes diced
1 small piece of tamarind
1 to 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp sambhar powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
pinch of asafoetida (hing).
1 tsp Cooking Oil
few curry leaves

Cilantro to garnish .

Recipe:

Soak the toor dal and tamarind in separate bowls of  water for around 15-30 mins. This helps soften the dal and cook faster.

Cook the dal in a pressure cooker at medium flame for three whistles. Smash the dal once it is cool and keep it aside.

Use a heavy bottomed pan, keep it on a medium flame add oil, once the oil is warm, add urad dal and mustard seeds. The mustard seeds will splutter, then add asafoetida, curry leaves, green chilis and onions. Let the onions cook until they turn pink.

Add the tomatoes and butternut squash, stir and let it cook for 2-3 mins. Add the sambhar powder, turmeric and salt. The sambhar powder cook for 2-3 mins again before you add the tamarind water.

Let the whole mixture boil for a good 5 -8 mins. Once this is done add the smashed dal. If your sambhar looks very thick add some water and adjust for consistency. Let the sambhar come together by letting it boil for another 5-8 mins. The butternut squash should be nice and tender.

Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with hot rice and ghee :).

Butternut squash sambhar