Don't you just love being totally surprised and delighted by a new recipe?

I bought another big chunk of pumpkin at the market this week and was really craving a curry, thus began The Recipe Search. You know...when you know what you want but need a bit of inspiration and will just know it when you find it? That kind of Search.



I found a couple of recipes in cookbooks and a couple online. The goal was to use what I already had in the cupboards so I didn't have to go to the store. Then I saw a recipe for Pumpkin and Red Lentil Curry from Cooking Light magazine that looked really interesting and filled all of my requirements.

It was excellent! Perfect amount of spice, very healthy, low in fat, and easy to make. Pumpkin is loaded with Vitamin A and antioxidants, particularly alpha and beta-carotenes. It is a great source of Vitamins C, K, and E, and has lots of minerals, including magnesium, potassium, and iron. Cilantro is an excellent source of Thiamin, Zinc and Dietary Fiber.



This recipe is my submission to Weekend Herb Blogging, which is celebrating it's second year anniversary! It is being hosted this week by it's creator, Kalyn at Kalyn's Kitchen.
Happy Second Anniversary to Kalyn and Weekend Herb Blogging!

Pumpkin and Red Lentil Curry

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped onion (about 2 medium)
5 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled fresh pumpkin (about 1 3/4 pounds)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
4 cups organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup dried small red lentils
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
6 lime wedges




Preparation
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in pumpkin and next 7 ingredients (through jalapeño); cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until pumpkin is just tender. Stir in lentils; cook 10 minutes or until lentils are tender. Stir in salt and black pepper. Ladle stew into individual bowls; sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups stew, 2 teaspoons cilantro, and 1 lime wedge)
Nutritional Information
CALORIES 222(11% from fat); FAT 2.8g (sat 0.4g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 10.3g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 123mg; SODIUM 657mg; FIBER 8.7g; IRON 4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 41.9g