Preheat the oven to 230°C regular bake.

Halve the potatoes (or quarter if very large) and place them in a large saucepan of salted water. Bring to a fast simmer, cooking until the potatoes are about three-quarters cooked through — about 8–10 minutes. Drain well, then return to the pan and place back over the heat for a minute or so to steam off any excess liquid. Add the oil to the pot, put the lid on and shake really vigorously. You want the potatoes to break up a bit, and it’s okay to have mushy stuff at the bottom — this will all turn crunchy. Tip everything onto a large oven tray and spread it out as best you can.

If some pieces are too large, smoosh them a bit with a wooden spoon. Season generously with salt and set aside.

To make the dhal, add the oil to a large, deep frying pan or flameproof casserole dish over a medium-low heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes until the onion is golden and mushy. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for another few minutes. Add the spices and cook for another minute.

Put the potatoes in the oven for 35 minutes, turning once halfway through if you need to.

Add lentils, stock, salt and sugar to the pan with the onion, garlic and ginger. Stir to combine, then cover and simmer on a very low heat for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Add the coconut cream and lemon juice, stir through and continue to simmer, uncovered, for as long as it takes for the dhal to thicken up nicely — 15 minutes maybe; it depends how thick your coconut cream is. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place the dhal and potatoes in separate dishes on the table. To serve, pile some dhal on top of the crispy potatoes, and sprinkle with coriander and maybe a little extra squeeze of lemon, if you like.

Lovely with some steamed greens on the side.