Warm farro, lentil and courgette ‘salad’

By: Anjum Anand
From: Anjum's Quick & Easy Indian
Serves: 2
Photographer: Lisa Linder

This was inspired both by khichri, a one-pot dish made with lentils and rice and lightly spiced with fried cumin seeds, as well as by a lentil salad I often make. It is a really simple, healthy-yet- filling dish. The farro is nutty and has a lovely texture, the lentils deliver a burst of earthy protein and the griddled courgettes add a charred flavour as well as sweet freshness. My farro cooks in 16–18 minutes, so I can cook it with the lentils, but the cooking time will vary between brands, so check the packet. If necessary, boil the farro separately and stir in at the end. This latter method will also give you a cleaner-looking finish.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
4 tablespoons	extra virgin olive oil
1	smallish onion, finely chopped
75g	puy lentils
150g	farro
1/3 teaspoon	vegetable bouillon powder, (optional)
1	small courgette, finely sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons	ground cumin
small handful	walnut pieces
1 rounded tablespoon	red chilli, finely sliced, or to taste
good squeeze	lemon juice
large handful	mixed baby salad leaves
	freshly ground black pepper
	salt
1/2 teaspoons	roasted ground cumin

Method

Heat the oil in a non-stick saucepan. Add the onion and cook until golden brown. Add the lentils and farro with 750 ml of water and the vegetable bouillon powder (if using) and bring to the boil. Simmer for around 18 minutes, or until both lentils and farro are cooked. Towards the end the water should nearly have evaporated, so you need to give it the occasional stir to stop anything burning. You want to drive off the excess water, so don’t add any extra unless necessary.
Meanwhile, heat a large griddle pan, place the courgette slices in it and griddle until lightly charred on both sides. Set aside. When the lentils are done, stir in the remaining ingredients, mix well, season and serve warm.

Note

To roast spices, tip them into a dry frying pan placed over a medium heat. Shake or stir often so they brown evenly. (Do not use a non-stick pan, as it may smoke and some believe this to be unhealthy.) When the spices colour and become aromatic – a matter of minutes – remove them from the heat and immediately pour into a mortar or a bowl to arrest the cooking; if you leave them in the pan, even off the heat, they may burn. Grind in a mortar and pestle, or a spice grinder, if needed.

Tags:: quick; easy; simple; fast; Indian; Anjum; Anand; midweek

Warm farro, lentil and courgette ‘salad’

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