Lentils with preserved lemons & zhoug

• servings: SERVES 2 as a main, or 4

Ingredients

For the lentils

1 cup/200g green lentils

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 tablespoons/oml extra-virgin olive oil

3 heaped tablespoons finely chopped preserved lemon (rinsed before chopping)

7 0z/200g cooked beet, cut into 1-inch/2.5cm chunks

large handful of parsley leaves

salt and black pepper

For the zhoug

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

seeds from 1 green cardamom pod

1½ cups/30g cilantro leaves and stalks

1 cup/20g parsley leaves and stalks

1 green serrano chile, seeds and pith removed

1 large garlic clove

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons water

salt and black pepper

Directions

Rinse the lentils in cold water, then place them in a saucepan and cover with just-boiled water. Bring to a boil, then cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until they are soft but still have some bite. Depending on the age of your lentils, cooking times may vary.

To make the zhoug, toast the cumin and cardamom seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 1 minute or so, until ther aromas are released. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and crush the seeds. Then place them, along with all the other zhoug ingredients, in a small food processor and blitz with ¼ teaspoon each of salt and black pepper.

To assemble the dressing for the lentils, toast the cumin seeds in a small dry frying pan as before, then crush them in a mortar and pestle. When the lentils are ready, drain them in a sieve, return them to the pan and stir in the cumin, lemon juice, olive oil, preserved lemon, salt, and black pepper. l's important to do this while the lentils are still hot, as they soak up the flavors better. Stir in the beet and parsley and taste to adjust the seasoning.

Place the lentils in a shallow dish and spoon a few tablespoons of zhoug over and around, serving the rest on the side.

Notes

Source: Ripe Figs by Yasmin Khan

The inspiration for this recipe came from a conversation I had with a Yemeni refugee on the Greek island of Lesvos who had walked almost all the way from Yemen to Turkey to escape the war in his home country. This is an absolutely extraordinary feat by any standards, but even more so given he was injured from the war. We spoke about oshaar, a preserved lemon pickle, and zhoug, a spicy cilantro relish, both frequently used in Yemeni food, and it was these discussions that led me to create this dish. My version of zhoug is quite mild but, if you want to up the chile, feel free. The garlic in it is also quite intense if you eat it immediately, but the acidity mellows it out after an hour. Any leftover zhoug can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. To make this more substantial, I sometimes add a few halves of hard-boiled eggs. Serve at room temperature.