🔗 Share this article This Quick and Easy Lime Dal with Roasted Squash and Chilli Nuts – Recipe It might come as a surprise to many cooks, but I am not a fan of dal. Only a couple of versions that I liked, and both were made by my mother: one with lime and coconut, the other a slow-cooked black dal with cream. But now a third fast-cooking dal has joined my favorites list. And the secret? Pureeing it until perfectly creamy, then serving with roast squash and moreish chilli cashews. It’s a game-changer that’s now on my regular menu. Lime Dal with Baked Pumpkin and Spicy Nuts Prep 15 minutes Cook 30 minutes Serves two 600g butternut squash flesh, diced into 1cm cubes 1 tbsp light-tasting oil Flaky sea salt One tsp freshly ground coriander One teaspoon cumin powder 150 grams red lentils, rinsed well 1 garlic clove, peeled Half teaspoon turmeric Lime juice from 1-2 fruits, to taste 1 teaspoon butter Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish For the Spiced Nuts 60 grams cashews One tsp neutral oil, or olive oil A quarter tsp red pepper flakes Preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/mark 7. Place the diced pumpkin, oil, a tsp of sea salt, and the ground coriander and cumin into a baking tray big enough to hold all the vegetables in a single layer, and mix well to cover. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until tender and beginning to brown. Meanwhile, put the lentils in a large pan with 500ml just-boiled water, the garlic and the turmeric, and heat until boiling. Cover partly, lower the heat and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes, until the lentils have softened. Mix the cashews, oil, chilli and a big pinch of sea salt in a small oven tray. When the pumpkin has 8 minutes left, pop the cashew tray in the oven alongside; by the time the squash is ready, the nuts should be perfectly roasted. Stir the lentils and season 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 hate to admit how much salt!). Keep adjusting and tasting until you’re happy with the seasoning, then add the butter. My final step, which takes this dish to the next level, is to blitz the dal (and the garlic clove) in batches in a high-speed blender. Sample once more – it should be just right. Divide the dal between two bowls, cover with the roast squash and spiced nuts, scatter over the coriander and serve hot with steamed rice and/or flatbreads.