Creamy French lentil dal

Method

1. 01.

   Soak cashews in boiling water 15 min. Drain, then blend with 150ml water until smooth.

2. 02.

   Rinse lentils. Simmer in plenty of water 40–50 min until very soft. Drain.

3. 03.

   Melt 25g butter. Fry garlic and ginger 1 min. Add tomato purée, chilli and garam masala. Cook 2–3 min.

4. 04.

   Add lentils and ~300ml water. Simmer 20 min, crushing some lentils against the pan.

5. 05.

   Stir in cashew cream and the remaining 25g butter. Simmer 5–10 min.

6. 06.

   Add salt to taste. Loosen with water if needed: it should be silky, not stodgy.

Optional: finish with another small knob of butter.