And the award for the ugliest-looking but seriously most amazing-tasting food goes to….
This here coconut milk butternut squash lentil curry. What can I say? It’s true.
I know it ain’t no beauty queen, but I promise, it’s one of the best things you’ll put in your mouth today/this week/this year/EVARRR. I just had to share it with you, down-home looks and all. You understand, right?
Recently, I’ve totally fallen in love with making Indian food at home. Indian food (especially curry!) tends to look super intimidating – long lists of ingredients, lengthy simmering times. But honestly? Once you have stocked your pantry with a few staples, Indian food is one of the easiest, most soul-satisfying things to make. And how awesome do we feel just casually making homemade curry?! (VERY AWESOME is the short answer to that question.)
I love making things I feel a little bit intimidated by at home, so when RawSpiceBar asked me to collaborate on a post using one of their artisan spice blends, I was 100% on-board. RawSpiceBar is a subscription service that curates three expertly-blended spice mixes every month and sends it on your way for just $6/month. It’s the perfect excuse to try something new and expand your horizons every month when you receive your new shipment, which I love – that’s what cooking is all about, right?! When I received their Indian-themed February spice collection, I knew I had to whip up an insanely fabulous curry to showcase how approachable at-home curry can be!
RawSpiceBar made this coconut milk butternut squash lentil curry even easier on me, as I jacked up the flavor using their fantastic garam masala blend. I’ve made this dish a few times before (it’s a total cozy Sunday-dinner fave around here) but I loved the extra zip that the garam masala added – I’ll never make it without it again!
Speaking of zippy, spicy, warm and cozy curry flavor – this lentil curry has all that and so much more. Not only is it so incredibly flavorful, between the soft butternut squash and butter-cooked onion puree and the TONS of spices, but it also is SO FILLING, especially for a vegetarian meal. This meat-free dish qualifies as a meal for Brad, which is literally unheard of. Normally “it ain’t a meal if it don’t have meat,” but this super-filling, secretly insanely healthy veggie curry is breaking all the rules. And I love it. The coconut milk makes it so creamy, and the lentils are the perfect vehicle for all the spicy curry goodness. Served over brown rice in a big steamy bowl, this is basically my dream meal, anytime of the year.
I hope this encourages you to try something new in the kitchen! Homemade curry is just an hour away, I promise! And if you’d like to try RawSpiceBar to get inspired in your kitchen, click right on over to their website here!
- 2 cups dry brown lentils
- ½ large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 4-5 cups squash chunks)
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth (sub vegetable broth to make vegan/vegetarian)
- 1 ½ tbsp. Thai red curry paste
- 1 ½ tsp. curry powder
- ½ tsp. garam masala
- ½ tsp. turmeric
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
- Dash of cinnamon
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 2 plum tomatoes, diced
- Brown rice, for serving
- Rinse your lentils and pick through them for any debris. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When it comes to a boil, add the lentils and cook for about 30 minutes, until lentils are tender. Drain and set aside.
- While the lentils are cooking, cook the onion in the butter in a very large sauté pan. After a few minutes, add in the butternut squash and the chicken broth. Cover and cook, stirring every so often, for about 10 minutes, or until the squash is tender. Transfer the mixture to a blender (I had to do this in 2 batches) and puree until smooth and creamy. Return the puree to the pan and add in the red curry paste, curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and coconut milk. Stir until combined and then simmer until the lentils are done cooking.
- Once the lentils are done, add them to the squash mixture. Add the diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to simmer together for about 10-20 minutes. Serve warm, on top of brown rice.
Looking for more healthy dinner faves?
Spicy Sausage, Kale, and Farro-Stuffed Roasted Acorn Squash
(Lightened Up) Traditional Chili
