We've had a warmish winter so far, but yesterday the season caught up with us.  With cold, snowy winds rattling the house, I was in the mood for something sunny.  Also, we have about 6 huge Marina di Chioggia squash lurking in the mud room and I don't like the way Mark fixes them.....so, I did a quick Google using the terms "winter squash split pea" and came up with a great curry recipe.  Happiness!

If you aren't familiar with them, the Marina di Chioggia squash look like dark green, slightly flattened and warty pumpkins.  The ones we have are the size of soft basketballs, and they seem to be good keepers.  Mark has been preparing the seeds as you would pumpkin seeds, and thinks they are "pretty good."  We had a smaller di Chioggia squash, but those seeds were twisted and underdeveloped.  The seeds from the larger squash are not quite as meaty as pumpkin seeds, but are right up there.

Onto the curry.  I'll put down what I used, with notes about what the original recipe suggested in parentheses, for those who are curious about how it was supposed to be done.  I haven't deviated too far with this one, and plan to make another batch tonight that will go straight into the freezer.

A big gob of our own onions, which are all shapes and sizes (1 diced onion)
half of one Marina di Chioggia squash (1 large winter squash)
2 cups green split peas (2 cups yellow split peas)
1 pint jar of our own canned tomatoes (half a can of diced tomatoes)
2 teaspoons each of ground tumeric and cumin (2 teaspoons tumeric, 1.5 teaspoons cumin)
(half a cup of dried, unsweetened, shredded coconut)
1-2 tablespoons fry oil of your choice; I used coconut oil
   
Once you've done a bit with these ingredients, you'll also need.....
1 tablespoon mustard seeds (1-2 teaspoons mustard seeds)
almost 1/4 cup of minced garlic (2-3 cloves of minced garlic)
1 teaspoon red pepper powder (1 teaspoon red pepper flakes)
1-2 tablespoons fry oil of your choice; I used coconut
for seasoning: honey, lime juice, cilantro

Heat the oil in a soup pot, as you'll be adding everything into it as you go.  While the diced onions are gently sauteeing in the oil until they are soft, dice the squash into 1-inch cubes.  Add the tumeric and cumin to the onions, and blend thoroughly.  Into the seasoned onions, add the squash, split peas, tomatoes, and coconut if you used it.  Add enough water or broth to cover.  Bring this to a boil, then reduce to simmer until the split peas are soft, and the squash gets really soft.  The original recipe indicated that this would take 30 minutes or so; I let the stuff cook for almost 2 hours.

In any event, once the split peas and squash have reached the texture you like, warm the remaining oil in a small sautee pan. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, garlic, and red pepper.  The goal is to cook this long enough that the mustard seeds begin to pop, but not so long that the garlic gets bitter.  Once this mixture is ready, add it to the big pot and stir to blend everything thoroughly.  You can season it with as much honey, lime juice, and cilantro as you like, but I thought it was lovely just the way it was.

I would be inclined to add carrots, sweet potatoes, and peas to this when I make it again.  This looks like it will freeze well, and the cheerful color of the mix is doing wonders for me on this gloomy winter day.  Enjoy!!