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It might come as a surprise to some readers, but I am not a fan of dal. Only a couple of versions that I enjoyed, and both were made by my mother: a citrus-coconut variety, the other a slow-cooked black lentils with rich cream. But now a new quick-cook dal has made it into my hall of fame. And the secret? Blitzing it until very smooth, then serving with baked pumpkin and addictive spiced nuts. It’s a revelation that’s now on my regular menu.

Lime Dal with Roast Squash and Spicy Nuts

Prep 15 min
Cook 30 minutes
Serves two

600g butternut squash flesh, diced into 1cm pieces
One tbsp light-tasting oil
Flaky sea salt
1 tsp ground cilantro
1 tsp cumin powder
150 grams red split lentils, rinsed well
1 garlic clove, peeled
Half teaspoon turmeric
Juice of 1-2 limes, to taste
One teaspoon butter
Chopped fresh coriander, to serve

For the Spiced Nuts

60 grams cashew nuts
One tsp neutral oil, or extra virgin 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 spice into a baking tray large enough to hold all the veg in a single layer, and toss thoroughly to coat. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until cooked through and beginning to brown.

Meanwhile, put the lentils in a large pan with 500ml just-boiled water, the garlic and the turmeric, and heat until boiling. Cover partly, reduce the heat and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils have softened.

Combine the nuts, oil, chilli and a generous pinch of sea salt in a small oven tray. When the pumpkin has eight minutes left, pop the cashew tray in the oven alongside; by the time the squash is ready, the cashews ought to be perfectly roasted.

Whisk the dal and flavor with citrus juice and sea salt to taste. You will need quite a lot of both: think of the dal as a totally neutral base (I used the juice from two limes and I’m embarrassed to say how much salt!). Continue tweaking and sampling until you’re happy with the flavor, then stir in the butter.

The last touch, which takes this dish to the next level, is to puree the lentils (and the garlic clove) in portions in a high-speed blender. Taste again – it should be just right.

Divide the dal between two dishes, top with the baked pumpkin and chilli cashews, sprinkle with the coriander and serve hot with rice and/or flatbreads.