Daal is one of my favorite dishes to make, and it is possibly the easiest. This simple dish gets elevated with the addition of two ingredients: coconut milk and butternut squash. The coconut milk turns this dish into a savory and creamy dish with the butternut squash that gives the dish a little more hearty feel. With a chapati, aloo paratha, or roti on the side, it would make the perfect meal any day of the week. Let’s get started!
Ingredients:
- 1-2 cups yellow lentil daal
- 1 – 1.5 cups of cubed butternut squash
- 1-2 tbsp chilled full fat coconut milk
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 3-4 curry leaves
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 4-5 cups of water
- 1 tbsp grated turmeric
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 1 bay leaf
- 2-3 tbsp oil
Before getting started, add 1-2 cups of yellow lentil daal to the water and allow it to soak. When I don’t have the time to let it soak overnight, I soak the beans in hot water for 1 -2 hours. After soaking the beans, then wash and strain them. Place the beans in your pressure cooker, add 1 bay leaf, 1-2 tablespoons of full-fat coconut milk, and butternut squash. If I can find fresh butternut squash, I will use it, but I often can find the frozen option, and it is just as good.
Allowing the coconut milk to chill makes it easier to scoop out and allows for that perfect flavor. Next, add enough water so that the water line is ~1-2 inches above the beans. This is probably one of the most important steps.
It isn’t necessary to add oil in this step, but I added 1-2 teaspoons of oil, a little salt, and a large bay leaf to be safe. I love using bay leaves because they pull the tinge flavor that some beans may have. Now it is time to close the lid and set it and forget it. I set mine to 12 minutes, which gives enough time for the beans to cook and disintegrate into a creamy sauce fully.
It is best to wait until the daal is cooked before going on to the next step. Now on to making your daal nice and flavorful!!
In a pan, bring the oil to temperature. Then add 1 tsp of mustard seeds. If the oil is brought to temperature, the mustard seeds will pop, and it is the perfect time to add some curry leaves and garam masala. At the same time, the spices are mixed in with the oil. This is the perfect time to grate in some turmeric and ginger. If fresh isn’t available, powdered turmeric and ginger will work well. The amount will be much less. When adding turmeric and ginger, it is best to leave the stove’s temperature low so that it doesn’t burn and the oil doesn’t burn off.
Now that your daal is ready add your spices to the daal.
Depending on the consistency, it is easier to use an immersion blender to evenly distribute the spice and turn the daal into a purée. Mine was set to a higher setting to form and mix a vortex while puréeing the daal.
Plate the daal with a little bit of chopped cilantro and a side of roti or aloo paratha, and you have the perfect meal for any time.
