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This could come as a surprise to many readers, but I am not a fan of dal. There were just two types that I enjoyed, and each were prepared by my mum: a citrus-coconut variety, the other a slow-cooked black lentils with rich cream. But now a new fast-cooking dal has joined my hall of fame. And the secret? Pureeing it until very smooth, then serving with roast squash and addictive chilli cashews. 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 two

600 grams butternut squash flesh, diced into 1-centimeter pieces
One tablespoon neutral or olive oil
Flaky sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cilantro
1 teaspoon ground cumin
150g red split lentils, rinsed well
One clove of garlic, skin removed
½ teaspoon turmeric
Lime juice from 1-2 fruits, to taste
One teaspoon dairy butter
Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

For the Spiced Nuts

60 grams cashew nuts
One teaspoon light oil, or extra virgin olive oil
A quarter tsp chilli flakes

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

Meanwhile, put the lentils in a large pan with 500ml recently boiled water, the garlic and the turmeric, and bring to a boil. Partially cover, lower the heat and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils are soft.

Combine the nuts, cooking oil, chilli flakes and a big pinch of salt in a small baking tray. When the pumpkin has eight minutes left, place the nut tray in the same oven; by the time the pumpkin is done, the nuts should be perfectly roasted.

Whisk the dal and flavor with lime juice and salt to taste. You will need quite a lot of both: consider the dal as a totally neutral base (I used the juice of two limes and I hate to admit how much seasoning!). Continue tweaking and sampling until you’re satisfied with the flavor, then stir in the butter.

The last touch, which elevates this meal to the next level, is to puree the lentils (and the garlic) in batches in a powerful blender. Taste again – it should be just right.

Portion the lentils between two dishes, top with the baked pumpkin and spiced nuts, scatter over the cilantro and serve hot with rice and/or flatbreads.