Day 2: Lamb and butternut squash curry

So it's post two this week - and this time I've made lamb and butternut squash curry (rogan josh style) for dinner. Just because lamb is a more expensive meat doesn't mean you can't have it on the menu, and the homemade sauce (made with tinned tomatoes and spices) tastes way more authentic than the jarred sauces or ready meal versions. I have to admit this is the first time I've personally cooked with butternut squash - my family recently discovered it at a restaurant - but I was really pleased with the overall taste of the dish - it adds some nice texture and flavours to the curry sauce. The recipe and method for the curry are below - this will serve two so if you're serving less/more people, just halve/double the recipe accordingly. Just a heads up - this dish takes two hours' cooking in the oven to get the meat just right so start cooking long before you're hungry!

*Serves 2 - £1.90 per person*

1 pack diced lamb

1 onion

1/3 of large butternut squash, peeled

3-4 cloves garlic

1 fresh chilli
1 large fresh tomato (to add in the final 10mins cooking time)

1/2 carton chopped tomatoes

1tbsp tomato puree

1/2 cup water
3tbsp olive oil

2 large tsp garam masala

1 large tsp ground cumin

1tsp ground coriander

1tsp turmeric

1tsp mustard seeds (optional)

Salt/pepper

Rice/naan (both if you're feeling greedy!) to serve alongside

Fresh coriander is great chopped and sprinkled on top of your curry when serving

1. Preheat your oven to 200'. Take your butternut squash and cut circular 1-inch slices off of the long, narrow end of the veg. This makes the next stage easier - taking these wedges of veg and cutting the thick, hard peel from the edge so that you're only left with the bright orange flesh. Cut into 1-inch cubes before placing the veg onto a baking tray, pouring over about 1tbsp of olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper. Peel 3-4 garlic cloves, squish with a knife and add to the squash tray. Place in the oven for 30-35mins.

2. When your squash has only 10mins cooking time left, chop an onion and your chilli (and a little bit of ginger if you have it) before throwing into a saucepan on a medium heat. Add 3tbsp olive oil, mustard seeds, and all your spices to the saucepan with the onion/chilli at this point, stirring well. Now add your diced lamb to the pan, cutting excess fat off if necessary.

3. By the time your lamb is browned, your squash should be ready to take out of the oven. (Turn the oven's heat down to about 150', leaving it on ready to put your curry in to cook) Add the squash and garlic to the lamb/onion/spices before adding your tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, and water. Mix well and allow to reach boiling point before transferring to an ovenproof dish and placing in the oven. Leave to cook for around 2hrs to get really tender meat.

4. Once the curry has cooked for 1hr 50mins, slice a tomato and add this to the sauce for the last 10mins of cooking time. Serve with rice and/or naan. Hope you enjoy!

Overall cost of £6.67 for ingredients including rice and naan but minus spices (these vary for between 45p-£1 for a pot - which last at least 8 portions in each). Per portion here, you're looking at a price of about £1.90 with sides included - an incredibly reasonable cost when considering that you're using lots of fresh ingredients and that lamb is one of the most expensive meats to buy. The supermarket ready meal equivalent of lamb rogan josh curry, rice (ready-prepared), and naan comes in almost £6 more expensive.

Tomorrow's meal is a homemade beef mince and butternut squash lasagne (the second real taste test for my squash!) topped with cheese sauce with a twist. Hope you've enjoyed reading!