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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 each were made by my mother: one with lime and coconut, the other a slow-cooked black dal with cream. But now a new quick-cook dal has joined my hall of fame. And the secret? Pureeing it until perfectly creamy, then topping with roast squash and moreish chilli cashews. It’s a revelation that’s now on my regular menu.

Citrus Lentils with Roast Squash and Spicy Nuts

Prep 15 min
Cook 30 min
Serves two

600 grams butternut squash flesh, cut into 1-centimeter pieces
One tablespoon light-tasting oil
Flaky sea salt
One tsp freshly ground coriander
One tsp cumin powder
150 grams red split lentils, rinsed well
1 garlic clove, skin removed
Half teaspoon turmeric powder
Juice of 1-2 limes, as preferred
One tsp dairy butter
Chopped fresh coriander, for garnish

For the Chilli Cashews

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

Preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425°F/mark 7. Place the diced pumpkin, oil, a teaspoon of sea salt, and the ground coriander and cumin spice into a roasting tin big enough to hold all the vegetables in a single layer, and mix well to coat. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until tender and beginning to brown.

At the same time, put the lentils in a big pot with 500 milliliters recently boiled water, the garlic and the turmeric, and heat until boiling. Partially cover, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils have softened.

Mix the cashews, cooking oil, chilli and a generous pinch of sea salt in a small oven tray. When the squash has 8 minutes left, pop the cashew tray in the same oven; by the time the pumpkin is done, the nuts should be nicely toasted.

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 completely blank canvas (I used the juice of two limes and I hate to admit how much seasoning!). Keep adjusting and sampling until you’re happy with the seasoning, 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 baked pumpkin and spiced nuts, sprinkle with the cilantro and enjoy warm with rice and/or flatbreads.