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This could be unexpected to some cooks, but I do not particularly enjoy of dal. There were just two types that I liked, and each were made by my mother: a citrus-coconut variety, the other a long-simmered black lentils with cream. But now a new quick-cook dal has made it into my favorites list. And the secret? Pureeing it until very smooth, then topping with roast squash and addictive spiced nuts. It’s a game-changer that’s now on my weekly rotation.

Lime Dal with Baked Pumpkin and Chilli Cashews

Prep 15 min
Cook 30 minutes
Serves two

600 grams pumpkin cubes, diced into 1-centimeter cubes
One tablespoon light-tasting oil
Flaky sea salt
One teaspoon freshly ground coriander
1 tsp cumin powder
150g red lentils, thoroughly washed
One clove of garlic, skin removed
½ teaspoon turmeric
Lime juice from 1-2 fruits, to taste
One teaspoon dairy butter
Fresh cilantro leaves, to serve

For the Chilli Cashews

60g cashew nuts
One teaspoon neutral oil, or olive oil
A quarter tsp red pepper flakes

Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan)/425F/mark 7. Place the diced pumpkin, cooking oil, a tsp of sea salt, and the ground coriander and cumin into a baking tray large enough to hold all the veg in a single layer, and toss thoroughly to cover. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until cooked through and starting to catch at the edges.

At the same time, put the lentils in a big pot with 500ml recently boiled water, the garlic clove and the turmeric, and bring to a boil. Cover partly, lower the heat and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes, until the lentils are soft.

Combine the nuts, cooking oil, chilli and a generous pinch of salt in a small baking tray. When the squash has eight minutes left, pop the cashew tray in the oven alongside; by the time the pumpkin is done, the nuts should be perfectly roasted.

Stir the lentils and season 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 hate to admit how much seasoning!). Keep adjusting and sampling until you’re satisfied with the seasoning, then add the butter.

The last touch, which elevates this meal to the next level, is to blitz the dal (and the garlic clove) in batches in a high-speed blender. Sample once more – it should be just right.

Portion the lentils between two dishes, top with the baked pumpkin and spiced nuts, sprinkle with the coriander and serve hot with rice and/or breads.