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It might come as a surprise to some readers, but I am not a fan of dal. There were just two versions that I enjoyed, and both were prepared by my mum: 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 favorites list. And the secret? Blitzing it until very smooth, then serving with roast squash and addictive chilli cashews. It’s a revelation that’s now on my weekly rotation.

Citrus Lentils with Roast Squash and Chilli Cashews

Prep 15 min
Cook 30 minutes
Serves 2

600 grams butternut squash flesh, cut into 1-centimeter cubes
1 tablespoon neutral or olive oil
Sea salt flakes
One teaspoon ground cilantro
1 tsp ground cumin
150g red split lentils, thoroughly washed
One clove of garlic, skin removed
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
Juice of 1-2 limes, to taste
1 teaspoon butter
Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

For the Chilli Cashews

60g cashews
One teaspoon neutral oil, or olive oil
¼ tsp chilli flakes

Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Tip the cubed squash, oil, a tsp of sea salt, and the coriander powder and cumin into a baking tray big enough to hold all the vegetables in a single layer, and toss thoroughly to coat. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until cooked through and starting to catch at the edges.

At the same time, put the lentils in a big pot with 500ml recently boiled water, the garlic clove and the turmeric, and heat until boiling. Cover partly, lower the heat and cook gently, mixing now and then, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils have softened.

Mix the cashews, cooking oil, chilli flakes and a big pinch of sea 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 flavor with citrus juice and sea salt to taste. You will need quite a lot of each: think of the dal as a totally neutral base (I used the juice of two limes and I’m embarrassed to say how much seasoning!). Keep adjusting and sampling until you’re satisfied with the flavor, then add the butter.

My final step, which elevates this meal to the next level, is to blitz the dal (and the garlic) in batches in a powerful 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 serve hot with steamed rice and/or flatbreads.