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It might be unexpected to some cooks, but I am not a fan of dal. Only a couple of types that I enjoyed, and each were prepared by my mum: a citrus-coconut variety, the other a long-simmered black lentils with rich cream. But now a third fast-cooking dal has made it into my hall of fame. And the key? Pureeing it until perfectly creamy, then topping with baked pumpkin and moreish spiced nuts. It’s a game-changer that’s now on my weekly rotation.

Lime Dal with Roast Squash and Chilli Cashews

Prep 15 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 2

600g pumpkin cubes, diced into 1cm pieces
One tbsp neutral or olive oil
Flaky sea salt
One teaspoon freshly ground coriander
One teaspoon ground cumin
150g red lentils, rinsed well
One clove of garlic, skin removed
½ teaspoon turmeric
Juice of 1-2 limes, as preferred
1 tsp dairy butter
Chopped fresh coriander, for garnish

For the Chilli Cashews

60g cashews
1 teaspoon light oil, or extra virgin olive oil
A quarter tsp red pepper flakes

Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan)/425°F/gas 7. Place the diced pumpkin, cooking oil, a tsp of salt, and the ground coriander and cumin spice into a roasting tin large enough to hold all the veg in one layer, and mix well to coat. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until cooked through and starting to catch at the edges.

At the same time, place the lentils in a big pot with 500ml recently boiled water, the garlic and the turmeric spice, and heat until boiling. Partially cover, reduce the heat and simmer, mixing now and then, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils are soft.

Mix the cashews, cooking oil, chilli flakes and a big pinch of salt in a small oven tray. When the squash has 8 minutes left, pop the cashew tray in the oven alongside; by the time the squash is ready, the cashews ought to be nicely toasted.

Stir the lentils and flavor with citrus juice and sea salt to taste. You will need quite a lot of each: think of the dal as a totally neutral base (I added the juice of two limes and I’m embarrassed to say how much salt!). Keep adjusting and sampling until you’re satisfied with the flavor, then stir in the butter.

My final step, which elevates this meal to the next stage, is to blitz the dal (and the garlic clove) in batches in a powerful blender. Taste again – it should be perfect.

Portion the lentils between two bowls, cover with the baked pumpkin and spiced nuts, sprinkle with the cilantro and serve hot with steamed rice and/or flatbreads.