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This could come as a surprise to many readers, but I am not a fan of dal. There were just two versions that I liked, and each were made by my mother: a citrus-coconut variety, the other a long-simmered black lentils with cream. But now a new quick-cook dal has joined my hall of fame. And the key? Pureeing it until very smooth, then serving with baked pumpkin and addictive spiced nuts. It’s a revelation that’s now on my regular menu.

Lime Dal with Baked Pumpkin and Chilli Cashews

Prep 15 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Serves two

600g pumpkin cubes, cut into 1-centimeter cubes
1 tbsp neutral or olive oil
Flaky sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground coriander
One tsp cumin powder
150g red split lentils, thoroughly washed
One garlic clove, skin removed
Half tsp turmeric
Lime juice from 1-2 fruits, as preferred
One tsp butter
Fresh cilantro leaves, to serve

For the Spiced Nuts

60g cashew nuts
1 tsp light oil, or extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp red pepper flakes

Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan)/425F/mark 7. Tip the cubed squash, cooking oil, a tsp of salt, and the ground coriander and cumin spice into a roasting tin large enough to hold all the veg in a single layer, and toss thoroughly to coat. Bake for 25-30 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 simmer, mixing now and then, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils have softened.

Combine the nuts, oil, chilli flakes and a generous pinch of sea salt in a small baking tray. When the pumpkin has 8 minutes left, pop the cashew tray in the oven alongside; by the time the pumpkin is done, the nuts should be nicely toasted.

Stir the lentils and season with lime juice and salt to taste. You will need quite a lot of both: think of the dal as a totally neutral base (I used the juice from two limes and I’m embarrassed to say how much seasoning!). Continue tweaking and sampling until you’re happy with the seasoning, then stir in the butter.

My final step, which takes this dish to the next level, is to puree the lentils (and the garlic) in portions in a powerful blender. Taste again – it should be perfect.

Portion the lentils between two dishes, cover with the roast squash and chilli cashews, scatter over the coriander and enjoy warm with rice and/or flatbreads.