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Spiced lentil, puffed rice and cucumber salad

Name: Spiced lentil, puffed rice and cucumber salad
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: Puy lentils 250g ready-to-eat pouch; cumin seeds 1 tsp; mild curry powder 1 tsp; hot chilli powder a pinch; vegetable oil 2 tsp; puffed rice 50g; cucumber ½, cut into chunks; coriander a small bunch, roughly chopped; mint ½ a small bunch, leaves picked and torn; red onion 1 small, finely chopped; pomegranate seeds 100-110g; natural yogurt 150ml, to serve; tamarind paste 1 tbsp; soft light brown sugar 2 tsp; lemon juice 3 tbsp; ginger paste or fresh grated ginger 1 tsp; vegetable oil or rapeseed oil 1 tbsp

30 minutes
serves 2
Easy

A vibrant, nourishing salad made super colourful with pomegranate seeds, red onion, cucumber nuggets and coriander. There are lentils in there for added protein, too

By Sarah Cook

Published: February 17, 2020 at 2:51 pm

Ingredients

Puy lentils 250g ready-to-eat pouch
cumin seeds 1 tsp
mild curry powder 1 tsp
hot chilli powder a pinch
vegetable oil 2 tsp
puffed rice 50g
cucumber ½, cut into chunks
coriander a small bunch, roughly chopped
mint ½ a small bunch, leaves picked and torn
red onion 1 small, finely chopped
pomegranate seeds 100-110g
natural yogurt 150ml, to serve

FOR THE DRESSING

tamarind paste 1 tbsp
soft light brown sugar 2 tsp
lemon juice 3 tbsp
ginger paste or fresh grated ginger 1 tsp
vegetable oil or rapeseed oil 1 tbsp

Method

Step 1

Heat the lentil pouch following pack instructions. Spread over a platter to cool a little, and fluff-up with a fork.
Step 2

Toast the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan for a minute or two or until fragrant, then tip into a medium bowl. Add all of the dressing ingredients with some seasoning and whisk everything together.
Step 3

Put the curry and chilli powder in the dry frying pan, toast for 10 seconds, then add the oil and puffed rice. Cook over a lowmedium heat until the rice is covered in the spices and lightly toasted. Cool on a plate.
Step 4

Stir the dressing through the lentils, then fold through the cucumber chunks with the herbs, most of the red onion and most of the pomegranate seeds. Just before you eat, toss through the spiced puffed rice. Scatter the remaining onion and pomegranate seeds over the top, and eat with drizzles of yogurt.