- 75g dried red lentils
- 1 butternut squash
- 1 shallot
- 1 garlic clove
- 250g chicken breast mini fillets
- 2 tsp mild curry powder
- 400g chopped tomatoes
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt
- 300ml boiling water
- Freshly ground pepper
- Vegetable peeler
- Large pan with a lid
- 1.
Tip the red lentils into a bowl. Cover with cold water. Set aside to soak.
- 2.
Peel the squash, halve it and scoop out the seeds (see our tip on what to do with them if you don’t want to compost them). Roughly chop the squash into bite-sized chunks.
- 3.
Peel and finely slice the shallot. Peel and grate or crush the garlic.
- 4.
Roughly chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Warm a large pan over a medium heat for 1 min. Add ½ tbsp olive oil and the chicken. Fry for 8 mins, turning once or twice, till golden.
- 5.
Add the squash and shallot to the pan. Drain the lentils and add them too. Add 2 tsp mild curry powder and the garlic and stir them in. Add a pinch of salt.
- 6.
Pour in the chopped tomatoes. Top the pan up with 300ml boiling water. Cover and bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 20 mins till the squash and lentils are tender. Stir occasionally and add a splash more water if it starts to stick.
- 7.
Taste and add a pinch more salt or some pepper if you think it needs it. Ladle the curry into warm bowls and serve.
- Tip
Snack Attack
Turn your squash seeds into a snack. Rinse them and toss with a pinch of salt and spices like smoked paprika or chilli flakes. Spread out on a baking tray and bake in a 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4 oven till golden.