Butternut squah apricot and dal curry
Asian

BUTTERNUT SQUASH, APRICOT AND DHAL CURRY BY Zainab Jagot Ahmed

Featured Spices

My ‘Super Orange’ curry! Loaded with all things deliciously orange and rich in beta-carotene (vitamin A) – great for healthy eyes, skin and immune system. Perfect for toddlers, this one goes up a level in the spice and flavour stakes. A healthy yet unusual curry combination that I guarantee your little one will enjoy.

Stage 3 weaning – 10+ months

Total prep & cooking time: 40 mins.

Suitable for freezing/ Makes 8 servings

Vegan

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion – peeled, chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp minced ginger

1 x 200g (7oz) tin chopped tomatoes

¾ tsp Baby Spice Kitchen Indian blend

100g (3½oz) red lentils – soaked in water (10 mins), washed, drained

½ butternut squash – peeled, deseeded, cut into 2.5cm (1in) chunks

60g (2½oz) dried apricots – finely chopped

1 tbsp unsweetened desiccated coconut

600ml (1 pint) water

Method

Heat the oil in a pot, add the onion and stir-fry on medium-low heat for 5 mins until golden brown. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 secs–1 min, then add the tomatoes, Baby Spice Kitchen Indian blend and stir-fry for a further 2 mins to lightly cook the spices.

Finally, add the lentils, squash, apricots, coconut and water and stir. Bring to the boil and simmer (covered) on medium-low heat for 20–25 mins until the lentils are cooked and the squash is tender and breaks apart easily. Serve with quinoa, roti or mushed rice.

Recipe adapted from Easy Indian Super Meals for Babies, Toddlers and the Family by Zainab Jagot Ahmed (Ebury Press, £14.99). Photography by Zainab Jagot Ahmed.

Easy Indian Super Meals

Recipe adapted from Easy Indian Super Meals for Babies, Toddlers and the Family by Zainab Jagot Ahmed (Ebury Press, £14.99). Photography by Zainab Jagot Ahmed. 

Biography: Zainab Jagot Ahmed

Zainab Jagot Ahmed is the UK’s flavour-led weaning expert and mum of one food-loving little girl. Following the success of her daughter’s weaning journey, Zainab realised she could help other mums raise adventurous eaters too and devised recipes and meal plans anyone can use.

Zainab writes for a number of leading parenting titles and appeared as expert speaker at The Baby Show, the UK’s leading pregnancy and parenting event. She is author of two award-winning weaning and family cookbooks - Easy Indian Super Meals and The Flavour-led Weaning Cookbook published by Ebury Press.

Easy Indian Super Meals

Zainab can be found blogging recipes on her website www.ZainabJagotAhmed.com, and positing on her social networks Instagram/ Facebook @zainabjagotahmed

Books by Zainab

Easy Indian Super Meals for Babies, Toddlers and the Family

The Flavour-led Weaning Cookbook