Winter Squash Soup

This recipe is originally from Martha Rose Shulman and got many comments on the NY Times Cooking Page.  Very high in Vitamin A, and a good way to use winter squash, onions, garlic and ginger from your Barr Farms CSA.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons oil or ghee
1 medium onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 Tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
3 Teaspoons mustard seeds (I used black but you can also use yellow)
2 Teaspoons cumin (I used whole but you can also use powder)
.5 Teaspoon Turmeric powder

1 medium winter squash ( I used a butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1" cubes)
1 Cup Red lentils or Toor Dal

Tarka:
2 Teaspoons ghee
assorted spices to taste, such as: cumin, coriander, curry powder

Heat 2 Tablespoons ghee or oil and saute onion, garlic and first group of spices. Add cubed squash, lentils or dal and 6 cups of water.  I did this in a pressure cooker and cooked it until the rocker rocked for 3 minutes, then let it cool until the pressure dropped.  You can also do this in a regular large sauce pan. Cook until lentils/dal and squash are tender. Use a hand blender to puree.

Tarka - heat 2 Teaspoons ghee in a small saute pan and add the spices until browned and fragrant. Add Tarka to the soup.  Add salt to taste.

You can also add chopped cilantro, grated (unsweetened) coconut for a South Indian touch, kale, spinach, red peppers, carrots, etc...