Ingredients
- 80 g lentils (I used dark speckled lentils)
- 80 g Camargue red rice
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- 1 red pepper, finely sliced
- 1 courgette, halved lengthways and finely sliced
- 1 large carrot, grated
- 60 g organic dried apricots, finely chopped
- 80 g pistachio kernels, dry fried and then roughly chopped
- 2-3 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 5 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 1/2 tbsp black mustard seeds
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 75 ml water
- 2 tbsps fresh coriander, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp groundnut oil
Method:
- Wash and rinse the Camargue rice and place in a pan, covered with sufficient cold water to cover the rice by a couple of centimetres. Bring to the boil over a medium heat then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until the rice is just tender. Drain and rinse under cold water and set to one side.
- While the rice is cooking, wash and rinse the lentils and place the in a separate pan. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the lentils for 25 minutes, or until they are just tender. Strain through a fine sieve and refresh under cold water. Set to one side.
- Make the dressing by placing a large frying pan or skillet over a high heat and adding the oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and the cumin seeds. Stir, and allow them to sizzle for 30 seconds before adding the chilli, garlic, ginger, ground coriander, ground cumin, salt and turmeric. Stir to combine and then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Leave to cool.
- In a bowl combine the lentils, red rice, carrot, courgette, red pepper, red onion, apricots, pistachio and fresh coriander. Pour over the cooled dressing and stir it through the salad before serving.
Recipe & photo from Steve Dent AKA The Circus Gardener’s Kitchen