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Slowly moving my way into fall recipes with this harvest tomato and butternut squash dahl.
With the official start of autumn being just over a week away, I can’t deny my excitement is through the roof…but you all know this, because I literally cannot stop talking about it.
Sorry…but then really, I can’t help myself.
This is one of those recipes that I’ve been planning for a while now. Way back at the beginning of the summer I really wanted to make an Indian dal, but the recipe and ingredients just felt a little too warm and cozy for a summer dinner. Me, being me, I decided to wait until the recipe felt seasonally right, and now is the time to finally tell you all about it.
Hip, hip, hooray!
It’s kind of hard to believe that this is my first dal recipe, but I’m pretty pumped about it. It was actually my cousin Abby who first gave me the idea to make a Dal, after returning from India this past winter. She raved about all the curries she’d had and said the Red Lentil Dal was especially delicious.
If you’re new to dal, it’s an Indian style red lentil curry dish. It can be made many different ways, but I believe using red lentils is the most traditional way. It’s a mix of slowly cooked lentils with curry style spices and finished with a drizzle of spicy oil drizzled over top.
Most Dals are made with a mix of vegetables like onions, garlic, chillies, and or carrots, but I decided to use up the last of my cherry tomatoes and the very first of my butternut squash. It’s the perfect combo of summer meets autumn and trust me it is so good.
The best part? This dal is quick and easy to make. Everything gets mixed up in one pot and simmered on the stove for about thirty minutes. While that’s happening make a quick spicy tomato oil out of coconut oil, herbs, spices, and cherry tomatoes. Cook up some rice and warm some naan breads…very important. You need rice and naan with all curry style recipes. Obviously.
Serve the dal over a bowl rice and then drizzle the spicy oil overtop. Add a little cilantro and maybe a few pomegranate arils, if you’re into pomegranates, which I totally am.
And then DONE. Dinner in under an hour and it’s also completely vegan, which I only just now realized now. Cool. Cool.
OKAY, soooo that’s that on this delicious recipe, but ummm I have other things to scream at you all about…
YOU GUYS!
Speaking of things I cannot stop talking about…wow, everyone’s comments on yesterday’s post about the Half Baked Harvest cookbook have me smiling from ear to ear. Seeing all of you who ordered the book or went out and bought the book yesterday!? Ahh!! Just in shock, and filled with happiness and amazement.
I really cannot believe it.
Basically at this point in time I am just one giant ball of happy over here today. I can’t believe I’m even mentioning this, but my birthday is Friday and there could not have been a better early birthday present. Thank you all! If I could send you cookies or give you all hugs I honestly would be doing so right now. Since I can’t do that, be sure to continue to follow along with all the Instagram giveaways this week, and don’t forget to enter yesterday’s giveaway as well.
Again, thank you guys so much for all of your support. It means the world to me and my little itty, bitty, HBH team. Hopefully more big things to come!
In the meantime, let’s cozy up to this autumn inspired Dal…
Harvest Tomato and Butternut Squash Dal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 inch fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 1/2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons curry paste
- 1 cup red lentils
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
- kosher salt
- handful fresh cilantro, chopped
- naan, rice, and pomegranate, for serving
Spiced Oil
- 1/4 cup coconut oil or sesame oil
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- 1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the ginger and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and red pepper flakes and cook another minute. Slowly add the water. Add the curry paste, lentils, butternut, and 1 cup tomatoes. Season generously with salt. Bring the mix to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 20-30 minutes, until the lentils are soft and the tomatoes have burst.2. Meanwhile, make the spiced oil. Heat the coconut oil, ginger, cumin, mustard seeds, red pepper flakes, and the remaining 1/2 cup of tomatoes in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook until the spices are fragrant and the tomatoes have burst, about 10 minutes. Season with salt. 3. Remove the dal from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Taste and season with salt if needed. 4. To serve, spoon the dal over bowls of rice. Top as desired with cilantro, spiced oil, and pomegranates. Serve with Naan on the side. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Maybe paired with a dessert from the cookbook!
I have already made this three times. I love the amount of spice and the balance of savory, sweet, and tangy. It’s the perfect fall meal!
Thank you Meredith!
This all looks so yummy!
Thank you!
Is this okay to freeze??
Yes, this is great to freeze!
Hello! I’m looking forward to making this recipe. I do have one question as I’ve never cooked with butternut squash: does need to be cooked before you get the 2 cups of butter not squash out? I would love any pointers, thank you !
Hi Rachael! No you do not need to cook it first, just cube the squash and then measure out 2 cups. Then cook as directed. Let me know if you have any other questions. Happy to help! Hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Is there any substitute that would allow me to cut back on the oil? My husband has a restricted fat diet, but we both really want to try this!!
Sure! I would just use what you feel comfortable using. The recipe will be great, the oil is mostly for topping the dish anyway. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Hope you love this!
I’m making the dal tonight! Can’t wait. I made the one pan lemon roasted salmon last night, delicious! Cookbook arriving next week. Great work Tieghan
Thank you!! I hope you love the dal Laurie! ?
I am an Indian and Dal is a daily affiair.
Yet I am reading this recipe and planning to make it now!!
That is so awesome! I hope you love this recipe Anu! Thanks!
Yum! I added 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree to thicken it up a bit. Oh, it’s divine.
And….I am loving your cookbook!
I am so glad you are loving this recipe & the book! Thank you!
Looks amazing! In a pinch, what would be the powdered spice equivalent for the ginger?
You can just omit it. Hope you love this!
Just discovered HBH on the day of the book release, where have I been?! Made this lovely dal and the naan bread for supper. My family loved it, my boys even ate it though it was pretty spicy for them, OK maybe only because if they did they got a 2nd naan bread 🙂
Love it and will be trying more asap!
That is amazing!! Thank you so much Amy!
This looks so delicious and perfect for fall! My kind of comfort food! 🙂
Agreed! Thank you Laura!
Hey Tieghan
This dal seems like a wonderful dish for (almost) fall! I’m so excited for the crisp weather and cozy meals! Also, happy early birthday! Do you have anything planned? I hope you keep having a lovely week and congratulations again on you book! ?
Hey Kristin! So glad you are liking this recipe.. I think its just perfect for cooler nights! Thank you so much for the birthday wishes and on my book, I am so excited that you guys can now see it!!?
Hey Tieghan! Just wanted to stop by and say hi, because I’m off to Barnes & Noble to see if they have the HBH cookbook!! I can’t wait to see it!! 😀
Ah I hope you get it & love it!! Thank you Sarah!
I just got your cookbook in the mail and opened it right up. I’m going to go ahead and call myself your biggest fan. It is absolutely wonderful and I honestly don’t know what to make first- I want it all! My three year old sat on the ground flipping through it and saying, “I want that, I want that, we’ll make that– Ooooo look at this! Yummmm!” The photography is incredible and the combinations look fantastic. Each chapter is as good as the last! I’m a stay- at- home Mom now that is SO lucky to get to get to stay home with the best kids, but since having kids and staying home, I don’t get to be as creative as I used to be. Your recipes have made me fall in love with cooking, feel creative again, and everyone loves them. Thank you so much!
Awh, you do not know how happy it makes me that you are loving the cookbook and that it is getting you back into cooking! Maybe you and your kids (depending on age) could make a recipe together? Thanks so much Amy!
Hi Tieghan from Texas! Your book was waiting on my front porch when I got home yesterday! My hubs and I opened it right up and looked at every single page. Compliments from the hubs on your beautiful photography! The book is gorgeous and I am under orders from the Mr. to cook my way though it. HaHa Early Happy Birthday wishes to you. Congrats on the book, it is something very special and now has an honored spot on my kitchen cookbook bookshelf.
Haha well I hope you both love every recipe! Thank you Carol!