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It might come as a surprise to some cooks, but I am not a fan of dal. There were just two types that I enjoyed, and both were made by my mother: one with lime and coconut, the other a long-simmered black lentils with cream. But now a third quick-cook dal has made it into my favorites list. And the secret? Pureeing it until perfectly creamy, then topping with baked pumpkin and moreish chilli cashews. It’s a revelation that’s now on my weekly rotation.

Lime Dal with Roast Squash and Spicy Nuts

Prep 15 min
Cook 30 minutes
Serves 2

600g pumpkin cubes, diced into 1cm cubes
One tablespoon light-tasting oil
Sea salt flakes
1 tsp freshly ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
150g red split lentils, rinsed well
One clove of garlic, skin removed
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
Juice of 1-2 limes, as preferred
One teaspoon butter
Chopped fresh coriander, to serve

For the Chilli Cashews

60 grams cashews
1 teaspoon neutral oil, or extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon chilli flakes

Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan)/425F/mark 7. Tip the cubed squash, cooking oil, a tsp of salt, and the ground coriander and cumin spice into a roasting tin big enough to hold all the veg in one layer, and toss thoroughly to coat. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until cooked through and starting to catch at the edges.

Meanwhile, place the lentils in a big pot with 500ml just-boiled water, the garlic clove and the turmeric spice, and bring to a boil. Cover partly, reduce the heat and cook gently, mixing now and then, 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 squash has 8 minutes left, pop the cashew tray in the oven alongside; by the time the pumpkin is done, the cashews ought to be perfectly roasted.

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

My final step, which takes this dish to the next stage, is to puree the lentils (and the garlic) in batches in a high-speed blender. Taste again – it should be perfect.

Divide the dal between two bowls, cover with the roast squash and chilli cashews, sprinkle with the cilantro and enjoy warm with steamed rice and/or breads.