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This could come as a surprise to many readers, but I am not a fan of dal. Only a couple of versions that I enjoyed, and both were made by my mother: one with lime and coconut, the other a slow-cooked black lentils with rich cream. But now a new quick-cook dal has joined my hall of fame. And the secret? Blitzing it until very smooth, then serving with roast squash and addictive spiced nuts. It’s a revelation that’s now on my regular menu.

Citrus Lentils with Roast Squash and Spicy Nuts

Prep 15 min
Cook 30 min
Serves two

600 grams butternut squash flesh, diced into 1cm cubes
One tbsp neutral or olive oil
Flaky sea salt
1 tsp ground cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin powder
150 grams red lentils, thoroughly washed
1 clove of garlic, peeled
½ tsp turmeric powder
Juice of 1-2 limes, as preferred
One tsp dairy butter
Chopped fresh coriander, for garnish

For the Chilli Cashews

60 grams cashew nuts
One teaspoon neutral oil, or extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp chilli flakes

Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425°F/mark 7. Tip the cubed squash, oil, a tsp of salt, and the coriander powder and cumin 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 beginning to brown.

At the same time, place the lentils in a big pot with 500 milliliters just-boiled water, the garlic and the turmeric, and bring to a boil. Partially cover, reduce the heat and simmer, mixing now and then, for 20-25 minutes, until the lentils are soft.

Mix the cashews, cooking oil, chilli flakes and a generous pinch of salt in a small oven tray. When the squash has eight minutes left, place the nut tray in the same oven; by the time the pumpkin is done, the nuts should be nicely toasted.

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

My final step, which elevates this meal to the next stage, is to blitz the dal (and the garlic) in portions in a high-speed blender. Taste again – it should be perfect.

Divide the dal between two bowls, cover with the baked pumpkin and spiced nuts, sprinkle with the coriander and serve hot with steamed rice and/or flatbreads.