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It might come as a surprise to many readers, but I do not particularly enjoy of dal. There were just two types that I enjoyed, and both were prepared by my mum: a citrus-coconut variety, the other a long-simmered black lentils with rich cream. But now a new fast-cooking dal has joined my favorites list. And the secret? Pureeing it until very smooth, then topping with baked pumpkin and addictive spiced nuts. It’s a game-changer that’s now on my weekly rotation.

Lime Dal with Baked Pumpkin and Spicy Nuts

Prep 15 min
Cook 30 min
Serves two

600 grams butternut squash flesh, cut into 1-centimeter pieces
1 tbsp light-tasting oil
Flaky sea salt
1 tsp ground cilantro
One tsp ground cumin
150g red split lentils, thoroughly washed
1 garlic clove, peeled
½ tsp turmeric
Juice of 1-2 limes, as preferred
1 tsp butter
Fresh cilantro leaves, to serve

For the Spiced Nuts

60 grams cashews
One teaspoon light oil, or extra virgin olive oil
A quarter teaspoon chilli flakes

Preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Tip the cubed squash, cooking oil, a tsp of sea salt, and the coriander powder and cumin spice into a baking tray large enough to hold all the veg in a single layer, and mix well to cover. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until tender and starting to catch at the edges.

At the same time, place the lentils in a large pan with 500ml recently boiled water, the garlic clove and the turmeric, and bring to a boil. Cover partly, lower the heat and cook gently, mixing now and then, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils are soft.

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

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

My final step, which elevates this meal to the next stage, is to puree the lentils (and the garlic clove) in batches in a powerful blender. Taste again – it should be perfect.

Portion the lentils between two bowls, top with the baked pumpkin and spiced nuts, sprinkle with the cilantro and serve hot with steamed rice and/or breads.