It might be unexpected to many readers, but I am not a fan of dal. Only a couple of types that I liked, and both were made by my mother: one with lime and coconut, the other a long-simmered black lentils with cream. But now a new fast-cooking dal has joined my favorites list. And the secret? Blitzing it until very smooth, then serving with baked pumpkin and addictive spiced nuts. It’s a game-changer that’s now on my weekly rotation.
Citrus Lentils with Roast Squash and Spicy Nuts
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Serves two
600g pumpkin cubes, cut into 1cm pieces
1 tablespoon light-tasting oil
Flaky sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground coriander
One teaspoon ground cumin
150 grams red split lentils, thoroughly washed
1 clove of garlic, peeled
Half tsp turmeric
Juice of 1-2 limes, to taste
1 teaspoon butter
Chopped fresh coriander, to serve
For the Chilli Cashews
60 grams cashews
1 teaspoon light oil, or olive oil
A quarter teaspoon red pepper flakes
Preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425°F/gas 7. Place the diced pumpkin, cooking oil, a tsp of salt, and the coriander powder and cumin spice into a roasting tin large enough to hold all the vegetables in one layer, and toss thoroughly to coat. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until tender and starting to catch at the edges.
At the same time, put the lentils in a large pan with 500ml recently boiled water, the garlic clove and the turmeric spice, and heat until boiling. Cover partly, lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes, until the lentils have softened.
Combine the nuts, oil, chilli and a big pinch of sea salt in a small baking tray. When the squash has eight minutes left, pop the cashew tray in the oven alongside; by the time the squash is ready, the nuts should be perfectly roasted.
Whisk the dal and season with lime juice and sea salt to taste. You will need a good amount of each: think of the dal as a totally neutral base (I added the juice from two limes and I’m embarrassed to say how much salt!). Continue tweaking and sampling until you’re satisfied with the flavor, then stir in the butter.
The last touch, which elevates this meal to the next stage, 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, scatter over the cilantro and serve hot with steamed rice and/or breads.
