Spicy lentil peanut stew with cassava mash

This is my contribution to the plantbased cooking challenge by @naturalmedicine.

There were some interesting combinations of ingredients to choose from. It's pretty interesting to see which way it could go with each entry. It could go anywhere.

I stayed on the vegetable side of the fence, although I was interested in incorporating some pomegranates into whatever dish I made. There were none to be found in the area where I live. I stuck with lentils, peanuts and cassava.

For a Canadian it it not the most convenient thing to get cassava. I went to China town to get it. I'm always reluctant. It requires going up a steep hill on the way home with the groceries. Sometimes I take the bus but I lose my patience waiting so I walk.

I made a lentil peanut stew with cassava mash.

I wanted a really spicy stew so I added one habanero pepper. It wasn't as spicy as I had expected but that was fine.

Lentil peanut stew
2 cups dry lentils
2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 onion diced
1 cup diced squash(pumpkin)
4 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 small sweet potato diced
4 cups fresh spinach
4 cups diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cup peanut butter
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
3 cardamom pods
2 cinnamon sticks
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 cup vegetable broth powder and water

Temper the whole spices in a hot pan.

Add the powdered spices.

After cooking the onions, garlic, ginger, and pepper in hot oil I added it to the already cooked lentils, squash, and sweet potato, broth, peanut butter, and spices.

I did this dish in several pots and pans. My large pot was recently discarded.

I added the spinach bit by bit until it was cooked down.