By Irene Hayton and Carol Song

For a festive look, use red or green colored tortillas when preparing this appetizer for a Christmas party. Or you can substitute roti for the tortillas. Besides being good sources of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, lentils and squash both have a low Glycemic Load rating (see this month’s Health Tip), making this a healthy and tasty alternative to many of the other appetizers that we indulge in, especially at this time of the year. For the carb-conscious, serve on endive leaves or cucumber slices instead of rolled-up in tortillas. The curried lentil and squash mixture can also be eaten warm or cold as part of a meal or a snack.

The amount of curry powder and cumin you’ll need will depend upon personal taste and the freshness of your spices.

  • 1 cup (250 ml) green lentils
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) butter
  • ½ small onion, chopped
  • ½ small butternut squash, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes (approximately 4 cups/1 l)
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) sea salt
  • ¼ cup (50 ml) filtered water
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) curry powder
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon (1 to 2 ml) cumin
  • ¼ cup (50 ml) chopped fresh cilantro
  • whole-wheat tortillas
  • low-fat plain yogurt or raita

Combine lentils with 1½ cups of filtered water and 2 pinches of sea salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Sauté the onion for 3 minutes then add the squash and sea salt and sauté for 5 more minutes. Add the ¼ cup (50 ml) of filtered water, curry powder, and cumin and stir gently; cover and steam over low heat for 10 minutes or until the squash is tender.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked lentils and cooked squash mixture and mash well with a potato masher or fork. Add the cilantro and mix well. Spread a thin layer of the mixture on tortillas. Roll the tortillas up tightly, then wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. Cut into ½ inch (1 cm) slices and serve with low-fat plain yogurt or raita.