Name: Middle Eastern-inspired beetroot and moghrabieh salad
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 4 beetroot, halved; 200 gm moghrabieh (see note); ½ cup each coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley and coriander; 15 gm barberries, soaked in water for 5 minutes (see note); 1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced; ¼ preserved lemon, flesh discarded, rind rinsed and finely chopped; Juice and finely grated rind of ½ lemon; 2 tbsp each toasted slivered almonds, toasted pine nuts and pepitas; Mint and cumin yoghurt; 1 tsp cumin seeds; ¼ cup mint, finely chopped (firmly packed); 280 gm plain yoghurt (1 cup)

Ingredients

4 beetroot, halved

200 gm moghrabieh (see note)

½ cup each coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley and coriander

15 gm barberries, soaked in water for 5 minutes (see note)

1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced

¼ preserved lemon, flesh discarded, rind rinsed and finely chopped

Juice and finely grated rind of ½ lemon

2 tbsp each toasted slivered almonds, toasted pine nuts and pepitas

Mint and cumin yoghurt

1 tsp cumin seeds

¼ cup mint, finely chopped (firmly packed)

280 gm plain yoghurt (1 cup)

Method

Main

1.Preheat oven to 200C. Place beetroot in a baking dish skin-side down, pour over 60ml water, season to taste, cover with foil and roast until tender (20-25 minutes).

2.Meanwhile, add moghrabieh to a saucepan of boiling water and cook until tender (15 minutes), drain and spread over a tray to cool.

3.For mint and cumin yoghurt, dry-roast cumin seeds until fragrant (20 seconds), then finely crush in a mortar and pestle. Transfer to a bowl with mint and yoghurt, stir to combine and season to taste.

4.Combine moghrabieh with remaining ingredients in a bowl, add beetroot (don’t overmix), serve with mint and cumin yoghurt.

Moghrabieh is a large, round couscous, and is available from select delicatessens. Barberries are sour red berries, and are available from Middle Eastern grocers and Pariya Food.
This recipe is from the April 2011 issue of
.
Notes