Recipe by Rachel Zammit Cutajar
Photo by Rachel Zammit Cutajar
Salads have a bad reputation for being boring and unsatisfying. The right combination of grain, beans and spices will ensure you never complain about a salad again. Add a runny fried egg to make almost anything better
Warm freekeh and chickpea salad with pomegranate
Ingredients
- 1 cup freekeh
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 1 large shallot, finely sliced
- 1 tin chickpeas
- Salt and pepper
- ½ lemon, juice only
- 50g raisins
- 1 pomegranate, seeds only
- Handful mint
- Handful dill
- Handful coriander
Yoghurt dressing
- 1 tub Greek yoghurt
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Or
- 1 egg per serving
Method
- To make the yoghurt dressing, add the garlic to the yoghurt with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan add three cups of water along with the freekeh and bring to the boil.
- Allow to cook for 45 mins until tender.
- Heat some olive oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds, toasting until fragrant.
- Add the chilli flakes and the shallots and fry until crispy at the edges (approx. 2 – 3 mins).
- Add the chickpeas and continue to fry, stirring as you go along (approx. 3 more mins).
- Remove from the heat, add the freekeh, raisins, lemon juice, pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs and mix well.
- Add a little more olive oil and mix well.
- Serve with a dollop of yoghurt dressing or a fried egg on top of each serving.
- Season with fresh pepper and some more fresh herbs and serve immediately.
This salad may be served warm or cold.