Lentils with roasted butternut squash curry, chorizo, minty yoghurt and crunchy chickpeas

This dish sounds like a drama to prepare and make but honestly it is very straightforward. Alison loved it, so much so that i ended up plonking my bowl of heartiness onto her high chair table top and the two of us fought plastic fork against fork till the very last morsel. There are lots of different layers and textures which i think young toddlers appreciate and makes it a nice exciting satisfying meal.

Prepare the butternut squash and aubergine and put into the oven to roast first before you start on any of the other elements to save time.

For the lentils

Simply cover 100g of lentils (i used yellow split pea ones) with either water or a salt free stock and gently bring to the boil, simmer for approximately 20-30 mins until they are super soft. You can add more liquid if you like but keep the mixture quite thick.
Why not make a double batch and freeze half in portions, cutting this recipe time in half for the future.

For the curry

1/2 butternut
1/2 aubergine
1 small onion diced
1/2 red pepper diced
1/2 yellow pepper diced
1/2 yellow courgette diced
1/2 green courgette diced
1 stick celery diced
1 clove garlic
1 tsp of grated chilli from the freezer or as much of a fresh one as you desire
1/2 coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp curry powder
2 tsp tomato paste
1 tin chopped tomato
2 handfuls washed spinach
Chopped coriander (as much or as little as you like)

Chop the butternut squash into half and then into quarters. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in a hot oven until nice and soft. About half way through just place your halved aubergine skin and all in with the squash. When this is cooked you can scoop the soft flesh out and it will add a nice thickness and softness to the curry. Chop the roasted butternut squash into as small or big chunks as you like.

Then simply in a large pot/saucepan fry off the peppers, courgettes, celery, onion until soft. Add the garlic and chilli towards the end and keep stirring until cooked. Next tip in the spices and the tomato paste and cook out for about 2 minutes stirring all the time so the mixture does not burn. Pour in the tin of chopped tomatoes and about 1/2 of the can of water and gently simmer for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavours to develop. Add in the roasted squash and aubergine and stir into all the loveliness.

Fry some chorizo in a dry hot frying pan and set aside in the same frying pan tip in a drained and rinsed small can of chickpeas and allow to fry until crispy and "popped" (you will hear the skins pop). Every so often stir or toss them so they brown evenly.

Right before assembly throw in the spinach and allow to wilt in any residual heat from the curry.

To assemble - lentils, then curry, then some yoghurt mixed with a some mint jelly, the chorizo, chickpeas and sprinkles of coriander...... simples!