Happy Fall y’all, and welcome back to The Garden!

Its finally my favorite time of the year, when the boots and sweaters come out of the closet, and the fire places begin filling the twilight evening air with fragrant woodsmoke. Autumn is truly a magical season with its tapestry of colors, and an abundance of recipes from the harvest to warm our souls and fill our senses. No doubt there are a myriad of ingredients to choose from, so my plan of action is always to cook whatever looks good at the market. This week I found some beautiful butternut squash that I will cube up and roast, before tossing it into a warm and hearty lentil stew made with chickpeas and Indian spices. So lets get rolling on our first Fall recipe from The Lodge Kitchen.

Here is what you will need:

Indian Lentil Stew with Roasted Butternut Squash

yields 12 cups

Shopping List and Ingredients-

Fresh produce:

Butternut squash- 1 large

Yellow onion- 1 medium diced

Pantry items:

Cooked lentils* (green, brown or red)- 2 cups prepared *red lentils can get mushy especially if they are split.They are a good alternative if you do not  care for the chewy texture of whole lentils.

Chickpeas- One 15oz can drained

Diced tomatoes- One 15oz can with juice

Vegetable broth- (low sodium) 4 cups

Worcestershire sauce- 2 Tablespoons

Roasted garlic- 2 Tablespoons minced or chopped

Cilantro-One 0.42oz container freeze dried or 1/4 cup fresh

Basil-One 0.42oz container freeze dried or 1/4 cup fresh

Sesame oil- varies

Coconut oil- 2 Tablespoons

Spices: (mix all together, except curry, into small bowl)

Garam masala ( I use Rub of Love Bengal Masala spice mix) -1 Tablespoon *this is a spice blend of corriander, cumin, pepper, chilies ,fenugreek, clove, cardamom, and cinnamon.

Curry or Chinese 12 spice- 1 Tablespoon (for squash)

Tumeric- 1 tsp

Smoked paprika-1/2 tsp

Chili pepper flakes- small pinch

Ginger-1 tsp

Nutmeg-1 tsp

Cinnamon- small pinch

Brown sugar-1 Tablespoon

Pink salt/cracked pepper to taste

Step 1: Prep/ Roasting the squash and cooking the lentils-

Both of these things can be done the day before and refrigerated in order to expedite the stew making process.

• First things first. We need to prep and cube up the squash for roasting. This is fairly easy to do with minimal tools, and once we get it in the oven, we can tackle the lentils.
• Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and cut into 1 inch slices. Then cut into bite sized cubes and trim the skin. Put into a bowl and toss with sesame oil. Add in salt and pepper and the curry powder, and mix to coast evenly. Lay in a single layer on a non-stick baking sheet and roast in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or until squash is fork tender.I usually check it at the halfway mark and toss it a bit to allow it to brown on all sides.
•    
• On to our lentils. You can even buy pre-cooked lentils at Trader Joes in order to save yourself the extra step, but most whole lentils can be cooked in about 20-30 minutes. I prefer the whole lentil over the split ones because the are firmer and have a more hearty texture. First rinse the lentils and remove any debris or shells.The basic recipe is 2 cups of water to 1 cup dry lentils. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes until water is absorbed.
• Now for the spices. For step 2 you will need to have your spice mix put together in a small bowl.

Step 2: Creating the base/ Preparing and warming the spices-

In a 4 qt pot over medium heat you will add your 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil. Once oil is warmed you will add the diced onion and the roasted garlic, and simmer until onion is translucent and garlic is slightly browned. Now its time to add the spices. Lower the heat to a med/low to simmer.

Warming the spices first before adding the stew ingredients will allow the flavors to develop and blossom.This will create a beautiful fragrant foundation for the stew to build on. Add a small amount of the vegetable broth in order to wet the spice base and allow it to reduce slightly. Now it time to start adding in the layers.

Step 3: Layering the flavors-

Add the diced tomatoes with the juice into the spice base along with the brown sugar and cinnamon to cut the acidity and add a warn sweetness to the flavor profile. Stir until well mixed and add a little more broth the keep everything simmering and reducing.

Step 4: The protein-

Now we will add in the chickpeas and the cooked lentils together, and fold into the stew. add a little more broth and bring to an active simmer. Add in cilantro and basil and more broth if needed. Stew should be thick and hearty with just enough broth to avoid sticking. Stir well and cover and simmer for 20 minutes until all ingredients are well incorporated and the flavors are infused.

Step 5: The finishing touch-

Last but not least, we will add our roasted butternut squash for a delicate final touch and depth of flavor. We do this last in order to keep the integrity of the squash and avoid it becoming mushy or breaking down too much in the stew. Its best when its still a bit al dente, and not overcooked. Once the squash is added, you can fold it in gently, and continue to simmer for 5 more minutes, until the squash is heated through.

Step 6: Simmer and serve-

Feel free to add in any more broth that you feel is necessary to keep the stew consistency. More broth may be needed if you are simmering for longer period, or if you prefer a looser consistency to the finished stew. I do find that after I refrigerate the leftover stew, I need to add a touch more broth in the re heating process in order to bring back the same texture as the original preparation. I like to serve it with fresh Naan bread or Pappadum lentil wafers. Enjoy!

As always, “lettuce ” know what you think, and plant your comments and questions here in The Garden. Come see us again for another delicious Autumn recipe straight from the garden harvest.

Thanks for visiting The Enchanted garden goddess, see you next time!