The perfect antidote for those of you that have over indulged during the festive period. This delicately spiced dal is low in both calories and fat, but is satisfying enough for even the heartiest of appetites.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

500g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm dice.

1 onion, peeled and diced

2 crushed garlic cloves

3cm grated fresh ginger

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp chilli flakes

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

1 vegetable stock cube

1 ¼ pint of water

250g red lentils

2 tlb vegetable oil

Salt and pepper

Bunch of fresh coriander leaf, roughly chopped

Method:

Heat half the oil in a large heavy bottomed frying pan and sauté the onions until golden – this will take approximately 5 minutes. Remove from the pan, heat the remaining oil and sauté the butternut squash until golden. This will also take approximately 5 minutes.

Return the onions to the pan, along with the garlic, ginger and spices and cook out for a couple of minutes, before adding the chopped tomatoes, stock cube, lentils and the water. Cover with a lid (or tinfoil if your pan doesn’t have lid) and cook on a low heat for approximately 25 minutes until the squash and lentils are tender. Stir in the coriander leaf just before reserving, reserving a little for garnish.

Goes perfectly well with my gluten free flatbreads or stuffed paratha.