Easy dal with coconut roasted squash and tomatoes

A store cupboard staple you'll make on repeat

Dal is the ultimate Dinner Tonight recipe. It’s simple, quick and so delicious. I normally always have a bag of lentils in the kitchen cupboard and a tin of coconut milk and so it’s a very comforting thing to know I am only ever about 30 minutes or so away from a delicious bowl of dal.

There are a million (and more!) different ways to make dal and I tend to vary mine a bit each time, a little more of this, a pinch of that, and yet somehow it’s always so good. This creamy coconut dal is great on its own and you could have it on the table in 20 minutes. But if you have the time to add the roasted squash and tomatoes it really does take it up a level. And even then you will only be looking at about 35 minutes, so this is still a low effort, maximum reward kind of dish.

Squash are at their best right now, so it seems only right to make the most of them. I love them roasted. You don’t “have” to peel a lot of squash varieties - the skin can go lovely and chewy as it roasts but I have to admit I normally always do peel mine. I know it’s a bit of a faff, and enough to put some people off but if you cut the squash into wedges first and then peel the skin off with a vegetable peeler it is actually quite quick and easy to do. You could also roast the seeds - depending on the type of squash you use, pat them dry with some kitchen paper and roast on a baking sheet with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. That would add a lovely crunch to the dal or make a great sprinkle for salads.

The squash and tomatoes are roasted in one pan with a generous drizzle of coconut oil which just makes them so incredibly delicious.

Now for many dal is perfect just as it is. And I would also agree. Serve scooped into bowls with a naan for mopping. However, I do find more often than not that I like it served with rice. And I serve a little cool crunchy cucumber salad on the side as I love the contrast of hot and cold, soft and crunchy. And I also love it with a chutney or a jelly - my mum makes the most amazing quince jam spiked with chilli. I realise telling you about my mums jelly isn’t very helpful as you cant buy it but something like this works really well - a little sweet, a little spicy…so so good.

One of the things I always try to be aware of when I’m writing my Dinner Tonight recipes is to think of how to use the fewest ingredients to make the most delicious thing. So I am aware that this ingredient list looks daunting…but if you look a little closer, it isn’t really. Its onions, lentils and spices, coconut milk and stock. That’s the dal, and a lot of that are ingredients you are likely to already have in the cupboard. Everything else is optional so don’t be intimidated.

This serves 4 but really if you were only cooking for 1 or 2 people I would make the full amount as it freezes beautifully and also keeps well in the fridge for a few days too.