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This could come as a surprise to some cooks, but I am not a fan of dal. Only a couple of versions that I liked, and both 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 made it into my favorites list. And the secret? Blitzing it until very smooth, then serving with roast squash 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 min
Serves two

600g pumpkin cubes, diced into 1-centimeter cubes
1 tablespoon neutral or olive oil
Sea salt flakes
1 tsp ground cilantro
One teaspoon cumin powder
150g red split lentils, rinsed well
One garlic clove, peeled
Half tsp turmeric powder
Lime juice from 1-2 fruits, as preferred
One tsp dairy butter
Chopped fresh coriander, for garnish

For the Spiced Nuts

60g cashew nuts
One teaspoon light oil, or extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/mark 7. Place the diced pumpkin, oil, a tsp of sea salt, and the coriander powder and cumin spice into a roasting tin big enough to hold all the vegetables in a single layer, and toss thoroughly to coat. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until tender and beginning to brown.

Meanwhile, put the lentils in a big pot with 500 milliliters recently boiled water, the garlic clove and the turmeric, and heat until boiling. Partially cover, lower the heat and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes, until the lentils have softened.

Combine the nuts, cooking oil, chilli and a big pinch of salt in a small oven tray. When the pumpkin has 8 minutes left, place the nut tray in the same oven; by the time the pumpkin is done, the cashews ought to be nicely toasted.

Whisk the dal and season with lime juice and sea salt to taste. You will need a good amount of both: think of the dal as a completely blank canvas (I added the juice of two limes and I’m embarrassed to say how much salt!). Continue tweaking and sampling until you’re satisfied with the seasoning, then stir in the butter.

My final step, which takes this dish to the next level, is to blitz the dal (and the garlic) in batches in a high-speed blender. Sample once more – it should be perfect.

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