Rukmini Iyer's Fast and Easy Lentil Dish with Roasted Pumpkin and Spicy Cashews – Recipe

This could come as a surprise to many readers, but I am not a fan of dal. Only a couple of types that I liked, and each were prepared by my mum: one with lime and coconut, the other a long-simmered black dal with cream. But now a new quick-cook dal has joined my favorites list. And the key? Blitzing it until very smooth, then topping with roast squash and moreish spiced nuts. It’s a game-changer that’s now on my regular menu.

Lime Dal with Roast Squash and Spicy Nuts

Prep 15 min
Cook 30 min
Serves two

600 grams pumpkin cubes, diced into 1cm cubes
One tablespoon neutral or olive oil
Flaky sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground coriander
One tsp cumin powder
150g red lentils, rinsed well
1 clove of garlic, peeled
½ tsp turmeric
Lime juice from 1-2 fruits, as preferred
1 teaspoon butter
Chopped fresh coriander, to serve

For the Spiced Nuts

60g cashew nuts
One teaspoon light oil, or olive oil
A quarter tsp red pepper flakes

Heat 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 roasting tin big enough to hold all the vegetables in a single layer, and toss thoroughly to cover. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until tender and beginning to brown.

Meanwhile, put the lentils in a large pan with 500ml recently boiled water, the garlic clove and the turmeric, and heat until boiling. Cover partly, lower the heat and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils have softened.

Combine the nuts, oil, chilli flakes and a generous pinch of salt in a small oven tray. When the squash 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.

Whisk the dal 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 added the juice from two limes and I’m embarrassed to say how much salt!). Keep adjusting and sampling until you’re happy with the flavor, then stir in the butter.

My final step, which takes this dish to the next stage, is to puree the lentils (and the garlic clove) in batches in a high-speed blender. Taste again – it should be perfect.

Divide the dal between two bowls, top with the baked pumpkin and chilli cashews, scatter over the cilantro and serve hot with rice and/or breads.