Lamb dhansak

336 calories per serving

THIS is a proper Friday night curry and we’ve trimmed the calories while keeping the flavour punchy and delicious. A richly satisfying dish.

SERVES 6

1 tbsp vegetable oil 2 large onions, thinly sliced 750 g lean lamb leg meat, diced 20g fresh root ginger, peeled and grated 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 3 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped 2 tbsp medium curry powder 1 tbsp ground cumin 1 tbsp ground coriander 1 tsp turmeric 2 bay leaves 150 g red lentils ½ butternut squash, cut into chunks Juice of 1 lime Handful chopped coriander leaves Freshly ground black pepper HEAT the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish or a heavy-based pan. Add the onions and cook over a low heat until they have softened but not browned. This should take about 15 minutes. Turn up the heat slightly and add the lamb, ginger, garlic and chillies. Sprinkle all the spices over the meat and season with pepper. Stir for a couple of minutes until the lamb is well coated with spices. Add the bay leaves and the red lentils, then pour in 700 ml of water. Slowly bring it to the boil, turn the heat down and leave to simmer for an hour. Add the butternut squash and cook for another half an hour, then remove the lid and leave the curry to simmer, uncovered, for another 15 minutes. Check the seasoning, add the lime juice, and sprinkle with chopped coriander to garnish. Lovely served with basmati rice or cauliflower rice.