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It might come as a surprise to many readers, but I do not particularly enjoy of dal. There were just two versions that I liked, and each were prepared by my mum: one with lime and coconut, the other a slow-cooked black dal with rich cream. But now a third quick-cook dal has joined my favorites list. And the secret? Pureeing it until very smooth, then serving with baked pumpkin and moreish spiced nuts. It’s a game-changer that’s now on my weekly rotation.

Citrus Lentils with Roast Squash and Spicy Nuts

Prep 15 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Serves two

600 grams butternut squash flesh, diced into 1cm pieces
1 tablespoon neutral or olive oil
Sea salt flakes
One teaspoon freshly ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
150g red split lentils, rinsed well
One clove of garlic, skin removed
½ tsp turmeric powder
Juice of 1-2 limes, to taste
1 tsp butter
Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

For the Spiced Nuts

60 grams cashew nuts
1 teaspoon light oil, or olive oil
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan)/425F/mark 7. Place the diced pumpkin, cooking oil, a tsp of sea salt, and the coriander powder and cumin into a roasting tin big enough to hold all the veg in one layer, and toss thoroughly to coat. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until tender 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. Partially cover, lower the heat and simmer, mixing now and then, for 20-25 minutes, until the lentils have softened.

Combine the nuts, oil, chilli and a big pinch of salt in a small baking tray. When the pumpkin has 8 minutes left, place the nut tray in the oven alongside; by the time the squash is ready, the cashews ought to be perfectly roasted.

Stir the lentils and season 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 used the juice of two limes and I hate to admit how much seasoning!). Continue tweaking and tasting until you’re satisfied with the seasoning, then stir in the butter.

My final step, which elevates this meal to the next stage, is to puree the lentils (and the garlic) in batches in a powerful blender. Taste again – it should be just right.

Divide the dal between two dishes, cover with the baked pumpkin and chilli cashews, scatter over the cilantro and serve hot with rice and/or flatbreads.