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This could come as a surprise to some cooks, but I do not particularly enjoy of dal. Only a couple of versions that I liked, and each were made by my mother: a citrus-coconut variety, the other a slow-cooked black dal with cream. But now a third quick-cook dal has made it into my hall of fame. And the secret? Pureeing it until perfectly creamy, then topping with roast squash and addictive spiced nuts. It’s a revelation that’s now on my regular menu.

Citrus Lentils with Baked Pumpkin and Chilli Cashews

Prep 15 min
Cook 30 min
Serves two

600 grams pumpkin cubes, cut into 1cm cubes
One tablespoon neutral or olive oil
Flaky sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cilantro
1 tsp ground cumin
150 grams red split lentils, rinsed well
One clove of garlic, peeled
Half teaspoon turmeric powder
Juice of 1-2 limes, as preferred
One teaspoon dairy butter
Chopped fresh coriander, for garnish

For the Chilli Cashews

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

Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan)/425F/gas 7. Tip the cubed squash, cooking oil, a tsp of salt, and the ground coriander and cumin into a roasting tin large enough to hold all the vegetables in a single layer, and toss thoroughly to cover. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until cooked through and beginning to brown.

Meanwhile, place the lentils in a big pot with 500 milliliters recently boiled water, the garlic clove and the turmeric spice, and bring to a boil. Partially cover, lower the heat and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils have softened.

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

Stir the lentils and season with citrus juice and salt to taste. You will need quite a lot of each: consider the dal as a completely blank canvas (I used the juice of two limes and I’m embarrassed to say how much seasoning!). Continue tweaking and sampling until you’re satisfied with the flavor, then add the butter.

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

Divide the dal between two dishes, top with the baked pumpkin and spiced nuts, sprinkle with the cilantro and enjoy warm with steamed rice and/or flatbreads.