Inspired by the South Indian Sambar, or lentil-based vegetable stew, this colourful dish is lovely served warm with chops or fish, or on its own with bread. It can also be eaten cold as a salad. This can be made up to a day ahead, kept in a covered container in the fridge and reheated.
Serves 6 as a main dish or 12 as a side dish
Ingredients 4 tbsp olive oil 2 large onions, chopped 1 leek, sliced 5 garlic cloves, crushed 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced 250g (9oz) dried Puy lentils, rinsed 100ml (3½fl oz) white wine 600ml (1 pint) chicken or vegetable stock 1 large butternut squash (about 800g/1¾lb), peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm (¾in) chunks 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 3 tbsp chopped parsley salt and freshly ground black pepper
What to do 1 Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7.
2 Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a deep frying pan, add the onions, leek, garlic and red pepper and fry over a medium-high heat for 5 minutes until starting to soften. Stir in the lentils (see tip), pour in the white wine and stock and bring to the boil, stirring. Cover with a lid, lower the heat and simmer for 40–45 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Remove the lid for the last 5–10 minutes if there is still a lot of liquid.
3 Meanwhile, pour the remaining oil into a large roasting tin, add the squash, tossing to coat in the oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 25–30 minutes or until golden and tender.
4 Add the squash to the lentils, season with salt and pepper, stir in the mustard and parsley and serve hot.
TIP: Do not season the lentils before they are cooked as this will make the outer skins tough.
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This recipe is extracted from Mary Berry’s Absolute Favourites by Mary Berry (BBC Books, hardback £25)
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