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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 enjoyed, 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 fast-cooking dal has made it into my hall of fame. And the key? Blitzing it until very smooth, then topping with roast squash and addictive chilli cashews. It’s a game-changer that’s now on my weekly rotation.

Lime Dal with Baked Pumpkin and Spicy Nuts

Prep 15 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Serves two

600g pumpkin cubes, diced into 1-centimeter cubes
One tablespoon light-tasting oil
Flaky sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground coriander
One tsp cumin powder
150 grams red split lentils, thoroughly washed
One clove of garlic, peeled
½ teaspoon turmeric
Juice of 1-2 limes, as preferred
One teaspoon butter
Fresh cilantro leaves, to serve

For the Chilli Cashews

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

Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425°F/mark 7. Place the diced pumpkin, oil, a tsp of sea salt, and the coriander powder and cumin spice into a roasting tin large enough to hold all the veg in one layer, and toss thoroughly to cover. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until tender and starting to catch at the edges.

At the same time, put the lentils in a large pan with 500 milliliters just-boiled water, the garlic clove and the turmeric, and heat until boiling. Cover partly, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils are soft.

Mix the cashews, cooking oil, chilli and a generous pinch of sea salt in a small oven tray. When the squash has eight minutes left, place the nut tray in the oven alongside; by the time the pumpkin is done, 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 both: think of the dal as a completely blank canvas (I added the juice from two limes and I hate to admit how much seasoning!). Continue tweaking and tasting until you’re happy with the flavor, then add the butter.

The last touch, which elevates this meal to the next stage, is to puree the lentils (and the garlic clove) in batches in a high-speed blender. Taste again – it should be perfect.

Divide the dal between two dishes, cover with the baked pumpkin and chilli cashews, sprinkle with the cilantro and enjoy warm with steamed rice and/or flatbreads.