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It might come as a surprise to many readers, but I do not particularly enjoy of dal. Only a couple of versions that I enjoyed, and both were prepared by my mum: one with lime and coconut, the other a slow-cooked black lentils with cream. But now a new quick-cook dal has joined my favorites list. And the secret? Blitzing it until very smooth, then serving with roast squash and moreish chilli cashews. It’s a game-changer that’s now on my regular menu.

Citrus Lentils with Baked Pumpkin and Chilli Cashews

Prep 15 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Serves 2

600g pumpkin cubes, cut into 1cm cubes
1 tablespoon light-tasting oil
Flaky sea salt
One teaspoon ground cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin powder
150 grams red lentils, thoroughly washed
1 garlic clove, peeled
½ tsp turmeric
Juice of 1-2 limes, to taste
1 teaspoon butter
Chopped fresh coriander, to serve

For the Chilli Cashews

60g cashews
One tsp light oil, or olive oil
¼ tsp red pepper flakes

Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan)/425°F/gas 7. Tip the cubed squash, cooking oil, a tsp of salt, and the coriander powder and cumin spice into a roasting tin large enough to hold all the veg in a single layer, and mix well to coat. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until tender and starting to catch at the edges.

At the same time, put the lentils in a big pot with 500ml just-boiled water, the garlic and the turmeric spice, and heat until boiling. Cover partly, lower the heat and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes, until the lentils have softened.

Combine the nuts, oil, chilli flakes and a big pinch of sea salt in a small baking 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 season with citrus juice and sea salt to taste. You will need quite a lot of both: think of the dal as a completely blank canvas (I added the juice from 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 stage, is to puree the lentils (and the garlic clove) in portions in a high-speed blender. Taste again – it should be just right.

Portion the lentils between two dishes, cover with the baked pumpkin and spiced nuts, sprinkle with the coriander and enjoy warm with rice and/or flatbreads.