And all of a sudden, it was casserole season. The baking dishes crept out of their hiding places and heavy cream found itself in our fridges. Get back into the season of comforting baked casseroles with these vegetarian, Indian-inspired curried lentil pies from renowned test kitchen chef Pamela Clark. Serve with rice and vegetables for a hearty meal.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 medium onion, chopped finely
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 1/2 -inch piece ginger, grated
- 1 fresh long red chili, chopped finely
- 1 stalk celery, trimmed, chopped coarsely
- 1 large carrot, chopped coarsely
- 2 teaspoons each black mustard seeds, ground cumin and ground cilantro
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 1/2 cups brown lentils
- 13 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 2/3 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 1/4 pounds pumpkin, chopped coarsely
- 2 medium potatoes, chopped coarsely
- 2 ounces butter
Directions
- Heat ghee in large saucepan; cook onion, garlic, ginger, chili, celery and carrot, stirring, until vegetables soften. Add spices; cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add lentils, undrained tomatoes and stock; simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour or until lentils are tender. Stir in coconut milk, peas and cilantro; season to taste.
- Meanwhile, boil, steam or microwave pumpkin and potato until tender; drain. Mash pumpkin and potato with butter in medium bowl until smooth.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Oil four deep 1 1/4-cup ovenproof dishes.
- Divide lentil mixture among dishes; top with pumpkin mixture. Bake, uncovered, about 20 minutes or until browned lightly. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds if you like.
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