Serves 4–6, depending on the number of side dishes • Preparation: 30 minutes • Cooking time: 45 minutes
• 30ml olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 5ml mustard seeds
• 1 red chilli, chopped
• 10ml mild curry powder
• 10ml turmeric
• 15ml garam masala
• a sprig of curry leaves
• 375ml red lentils, soaked in cold water for 3 hours
• 500ml boiling water
• 500g pumpkin slices, peeled and seeded
• 15ml olive oil
• 1 tin (400g) cherry tomatoes
• 1 tin (400ml) coconut milk
• 30ml butter
• 12 curry leaves
• coconut, green chilli, onion flakes and plain yoghurt, to serve
Get all the ingredients together. Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat and sauté the onions, garlic, ginger, mustard seeds and red chilli together for about 5 minutes until the onions start to turn brown. Stir in the curry powder, turmeric, masala and curry leaves and stir-fry Add the drained lentils and boiling water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are cooked and tender. Mix the pumpkin slices with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and spread in a single layer on a baking tray. Bake for about 30 minutes in a preheated oven at 200 °C. Turn the slices over and roast for another 5–10 minutes until golden-brown and cooked. Alternatively, air-fry the slices in your air fryer for about 40 minutes. Remember to turn halfway through the cooking time. 5 Stir the tomatoes and coconut milk into the dhal and simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes. Melt the butter in a pan and fry the curry leaves for a minute or two. The leaves become crispy and flavour the butter (keep the heat low so that the leaves don't scorch). Check the seasoning of the dhal, then drizzle the curry leaf butter on top. Serve with the sliced pumpkin. Optional extras include coconut shavings, crispy fried onion flakes, chopped green chillies, plain yoghurt and rotis or parathas for dipping in the curry!
