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This could come as a surprise to some readers, but I am not a fan of dal. Only a couple of versions that I liked, and each were made by my mother: one with lime and coconut, the other a long-simmered black lentils with rich cream. But now a new fast-cooking dal has made it into my hall of fame. And the key? Pureeing it until perfectly creamy, then serving with roast squash and moreish chilli cashews. It’s a revelation that’s now on my weekly rotation.

Citrus Lentils with Roast Squash and Spicy Nuts

Prep 15 min
Cook 30 min
Serves two

600 grams pumpkin cubes, cut into 1cm cubes
One tablespoon light-tasting oil
Flaky sea salt
One tsp freshly ground coriander
1 tsp cumin powder
150g red lentils, rinsed well
1 garlic clove, skin removed
Half tsp turmeric powder
Juice of 1-2 limes, to taste
1 teaspoon dairy butter
Chopped fresh coriander, to serve

For the Spiced Nuts

60 grams cashew nuts
1 teaspoon neutral oil, or extra virgin olive oil
A quarter tsp chilli flakes

Preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425°F/gas 7. Place the diced pumpkin, oil, a teaspoon of sea salt, and the ground coriander and cumin spice into a roasting tin big enough to hold all the vegetables in one layer, and mix well to coat. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until cooked through and beginning to brown.

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

Combine the nuts, cooking oil, chilli flakes and a generous pinch of sea salt in a small oven tray. When the squash has 8 minutes left, place the nut tray in the same oven; by the time the pumpkin is done, the cashews ought to be perfectly roasted.

Stir the lentils and season with lime juice and salt to taste. You will need a good amount of each: think of the dal as a completely blank canvas (I used the juice from two limes and I hate to admit how much seasoning!). Continue tweaking and sampling until you’re happy with the flavor, then stir in the butter.

My final step, which elevates this meal to the next level, is to blitz the dal (and the garlic) in portions in a powerful blender. Taste again – it should be just right.

Portion the lentils between two dishes, top with the roast squash and chilli cashews, sprinkle with the cilantro and enjoy warm with rice and/or breads.