It’s mid-September, and I am already all about that pumpkin life. Not so much in the form of a PSL… I’m thinking more along the lines of pumpkin dal. And this pumpkin dal just so happens to be really tasty and really easy to make! The two main ingredients: canned pumpkin (because of convenience) and red lentils. It’s spiced with mustard seeds, curry leaves, garam masala, and pumpkin pie spice! This dal also calls for onion masala, a magical sauce that makes cooking flavorful Indian food so much faster.
What’s the deal with onion masala?
Are you a busy person? Do you enjoy spending time in the kitchen, or would you rather be doing something – anything – else? Do these questions sound like I’m trying to sell you something? So here’s the thing. As a food blogger, I clearly love cooking. But even for me, leisurely cooking rarely happens these days. Most of the time, when I’m cooking – it’s because we all need to eat. When I have to prep dinner as fast as possible – while also taking care of two kids – I need pour and cook recipes. Onion masala makes that possible. I grab some masala from the freezer (I freeze it in these silicone trays – each container is ¼ cup) and use it in a recipe like this pumpkin dal. If you haven’t checked out my onion masala series, please do so… like, now. Leave this post, read about this magic sauce, and see what kind of recipes you can make with it. So I have to tell you. My toddler really likes this dal, which is great because I’ve been making quite a bit of it lately. He finds it hilarious that there are “leaves” in the dal (curry leaves). He’ll pick them out, show them to me, and laugh as he eats them. It’s the best. If you have kids, I hope they like this dal too. You can stir some baby spinach or baby kale into this lentil curry right before eating it for an even more nutrient-rich dish. Serve it with my jeera rice or pea pulao!
Want to try more savory pumpkin recipes?
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