Pumpkin Dahl - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/3 cup ghee
1/2 large butternut pumpkin, cut into 2cm cubes (about 1kg trimmed weight)
1 bunch silver beet, trimmed and roughly chopped
2 brown onions, chopped finely
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 green chilies, sliced thickly at a long angle
500 g red lentils, rinsed and drained
5 cups water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1/3 cup curry leaf
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 cup coriander leaves

Preparation

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add half of the ghee and cook pumpkin in batches, tossing the pan often until pumpkin is well coloured and starting to soften; set aside.
Add another tablespoon of the ghee, and working in batches, cook silverbeet until wilted and tender. Remove from pan and add to reserved pumpkin.
In the same pan, heat remaining ghee; add onions, garlic and ginger; cook until starting to soften and fragrant.
Add spices, stirring until fragrant. Add chillies, lentils and water. Bring to the boil; reduce heat to a simmer; cook, covered, stirring occasionally until dahl is thick and soupy, about 40 minutes.
Just before dahl is ready, heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan. Add cumin, mustard seeds and curry leaves; cook until the mustard seeds 'pop'.
Return pumpkin and spinach, with tomatoes and tempered spice mixture to pan with dahl; stir to combine and heat through. Season to taste and stir in half of the coriander, reserving the remainder for garnish.
Serve hot with basmati rice, chutney and cucumber salad.