Veggie deight- Butternut squash, chickpea and spinach curry

Skill: Low
Cost: Low (makes several meals)
Time: 40 mins 
Equipment: Saucepan, knife, chopping board

I have been so busy recently I haven't been baking as much and have been half-heartedly knocking up meals with whatever I have in the fridge. Luckily this week I had a bit more time once my deadlines had passed to do some proper cooking. 

I made a huuuuge batch of veggie curry (6 individual portions/ 3 meals for me and my boyfriend). I based it on memory of a recipe from Tesco. As we are vegetarian 'beans and pules' such as lentils and chickpeas as well as spinach are a great way to get the protein we need. Not only is this nutritious it is also delicious! 

I love watching the whole mixture reduce the squash goes and the liquid thickens into a rich curry sauce. Served with a portion of rice and a dollop of mango chutney this is a tasty, reasonably cheap and healthy meal.

Ingredients:

2 onions

2 large cans of chickpeas (I used 3 small)

2 cans of green lentils

2 cans of plum tomatoes

1 butternut squash

3 frozen spinach balls or 150g fresh spinach

4 tablespoons of balti paste

2 stock cubes (made up to 500ml Stock)

Salt

Pepper

Olive oil

1. Chop onions add to a large sauce pan and fry in the oil on a low heat until soft. Add balti paste and fry on low for another 5 minutes.

2. Peel, de-seed and chop butternut squash into cubes.

3. Add squash, chickpeas, lentils, tomatoes and stock to the pan.

4. Simmer for 25 minutes until the squash is softened. Then add spinach. Cook for a further 5 minutes.

5. Serve immediately or leave to cool, add to plastic containers and freeze.

I love the vibrant colour of this curry!

I have become a bit obsessed with freezing meals since I've been at uni. It means I can make one big batch of food and freeze some for a tasty meal at a later date. It can be defrosted in minutes while still being home-made and nutritious.I have these boxes from Ikea. They are so cheap, there are so many of them and they come in all different sizes, perfect for storage of any food.

Next time I might try adding different vegetables and see if that works just as well.

Do you have a recipe for a delicious veggie curry? 

Until next time,

Emily x