Slow Cooker Pumpkin Lentil and Tomato Dahl

Recipe

Serves: 4 | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 6 hours

Ingredients

• 3 cups Pumpkin, peeled and diced
• 1 cup Red lentils, rinsed    
• 1 Onion, diced
• 2 tsp Crushed garlic    
• 1 tsp Crushed ginger
• 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 can (400 ml) Coconut milk    
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Sweet paprika
• ¼ tsp Salt    
• Pepper, to taste    
• 3 cups Water
• 2 cups Baby spinach
• 4 slices Wholemeal loaf, toasted, to serve

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
2. Add the crushed garlic and crushed ginger. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant, then transfer to the slow cooker.
3. Add pumpkin, red lentils, turmeric, cumin, sweet paprika, salt and pepper to taste.
4. Pour in the coconut milk and water. Stir gently to combine.
5. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the pumpkin is soft and the lentils have broken down into a creamy dahl. Give it a stir halfway through to stop the lentils from sticking to the sides of the slow cooker.
6. Stir in the baby spinach until wilted.
7. Serve warm with toasted slices of wholemeal loaf.

Tip

• For extra creaminess, add some mashed pumpkin, sour cream, and coriander into the dahl before serving.
• Consider adding 1–2 tsp curry powder as an optional variation if you would prefer more depth of flavour.