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Two bowls of yellow daal topped with squash and limes wedges placed on trays
5 stars (3 reviews)

Get the Recipe:

Mung Daal with Roasted Butternut Squash (Vegan)

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 7 people
This recipe for roasted butternut squash daal is made with split yellow lentils(mung daal). It's thick, creamy, and filled with authentic South Asian flavours.

Video

Ingredients
 

Roasted Butternut Squash

  • 1 butternut squash, medium, washed, peeled, deseeded and cut into small/medium cubes
  • 1 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
  • ½ tsp salt, sea salt
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper

Daal

  • 2 cups mung daal, yellow split peas daal, wash until water runs clear
  • 8 cups water

Daal Tarka

  • 1 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
  • tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 bay leaves, dried
  • 1 cinnamon stick, 3-inch
  • 2 tsp garlic, crushed
  • 2 tsp ginger, crushed
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ cup tomato passata, thick
  • 1 tsp salt, sea salt

Garnish

  • 1 lime, large, juice
  • 2 green chillies, washed, finely chopped. Adjust to taste
  • 1 cup cilantro, fresh, washed, finely chopped

Instructions
 

Roasted Butternut Squash

  • Preheat the oven to roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Start by preparing the butternut squash. Peel, deseed and cut into medium cubes. 
  • Coat the cubes with oil, spices and salt and send to roast for 20 minutes.

Boiling the Mung Daal

  • In a large pot, add the drained daal along with 8 cups of water. Bring to boil uncovered on high heat, then simmer on medium heat for 18-20 minutes. Discard any white foam that appears on the surface of the daal.

Daal Tarka

  • Start by tempering the whole spices. In a small pan, fry cumin, cinnamon and bay leaves.
  • Once the spices release their beautiful aroma, add onion, garlic and ginger and fry until lightly golden. 
  • Stir in the thick passata, and follow with the remaining spices. Cook for a couple of minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Finishing the Mung Daal + Garnish

  • Add the roasted butternut squash to the daal along with the tarka and stir to combine well. Cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.
  • Finish with salt, chillies, lime juice and cilantro. Don't forget to use fresh cilantro as it exudes a wonderful aroma in this dish. This daal serves splendidly with just about anything - roti, naan, rice, quinoa.

Notes

  • Cut the butternut squash similar in size. That way, they cook evenly.
  • Make sure you don't pile the butternut squash cubes on top of one another; otherwise, they will steam rather than roast. Give them space, and they'll roast beautifully.
  • Be careful not to burn the whole spices during the tempering process.
  • Use thick passata; otherwise, the daal will be too runny.
  • The fresher the cilantro, the more the flavour!
  • You can adjust the spice and salt to your needs. We're used to adding less salt and spices in our recipes.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 299kcal (15%)Carbohydrates: 52g (17%)Protein: 16g (32%)Fat: 5g (8%)Saturated Fat: 1g (5%)Sodium: 585mg (24%)Potassium: 508mg (15%)Fiber: 8g (32%)Sugar: 5g (6%)Vitamin A: 11744IU (235%)Vitamin C: 28mg (34%)Calcium: 80mg (8%)Iron: 6mg (33%)

Keep in mind that the nutritional values provided are approximations and suggestions, and might fluctuate depending on ingredient variations, portion sizes, and recipe adjustments. This nutrition facts table cannot account for your individual needs. Your body — including your hunger and satiety cues — change daily. It's perfectly fine to eat more or less on different days. Instead of letting food guilt take over, consider mindful eating.

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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