Butternut Squash Tikka Masala

We are a nation that loves a curry, and they can be very straight forward to make from scratch. For an alternative to the classic chicken tikka masala we are using butternut squash. These are great vegetables to cook with because they go such a long way, often quite cheap, and you can eat every part of them!

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 Butternut squash
2 tbsp oil
2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp paprika powder
1 white onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
200g tomatoes, roughly chopped, soft and ripe works best (If you don’t have any fresh tomatoes, a tablespoon of tomato puree can be used as an alternative)
400g tin of tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
400ml tin of coconut milk
3 cardamon seeds
1 bay leaf
100g spinach
Chopped coriander leaves, to serve

Method

Start by preparing the butternut squash. Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas Mark 3/325°F. Remove the top stem, then cut down the middle. Cut in half again in the other direction so you have 4 quarters (2 top halves, 2 bottom halves). Cut each half into 8 wedges and place in an oven proof dish large enough to fit all the butternut squash comfortably. The skin and seeds of squash and pumpkins are often edible. Some pumpkins have tough skins but butternut squash is soft, nutty, and sweet.
Drizzle the butternut squash with half the oil and sprinkle over the salt, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, and paprika. Give the butternut squash a thorough mix so that all the squash is coated. Or put everything into a large tub with a lid and give it a good shake! Then tip out into the oven proof dish.
Roast the butternut squash for 35 minutes, turning the squash half way to avoid burning, until soft and golden. Remove from the oven and set aside until the sauce is ready.
Meanwhile, make the tikka masala sauce. Heat a heavy based saucepan, that has a lid, over a medium heat and add the rest of the oil.
Add the onions and garlic to the pan with a pinch of salt.
Sweat the onions and garlic for 4-5 minutes until transparent and soft.
Add the tomatoes, stir into the onions, and cook for a further 6 minutes so that the tomatoes begin to break down.
Pour in the tin of tomatoes along with the sugar, coconut milk, cardamon seeds, and bay leaf. Stir well then place the lid on and turn the heat down to low.
Simmer the sauce for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn’t catch. The sauce will thicken and become aromatic.
Add the roasted butternut squash to the sauce, carefully stirring so the squash doesn’t break up too much. Let the sauce simmer for another 5 minutes so all the spices infuse into the sauce.
Finish by adding the spinach, carefully stirring through.