Quinoa, red rice and black lentil salad with spicy cauliflower

Ingredients

Quinoa and red rice salad with spicy cauliflower and black lentils.Photo: Marina Oliphant

• 200g quinoa
• 200g red rice, rinsed
• 50g black lentils, rinsed
• 100ml olive oil and 3 tbsp extra
• 2 brown onions, thinly sliced
• 100g dried cranberries
• 1 orange, zested and juiced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cauliflower, broken into small florets
• 200g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
• 1 cup fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
• For the dressing:
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Salt and pepper

Method

Cook quinoa in a medium pot of boiling, lightly salted water for 12-14 minutes until just tender. Drain and set aside. Cook red rice and lentils in a large pot of boiling, lightly salted water for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat frying pan, add 100 millilitres of oil and onions, cook over low heat for 10 minutes until well caramelised. Soak cranberries in orange juice for 10 minutes until plump. Mix cumin, coriander and flour in a small bowl.

Toss cauliflower in flour mix. Heat three tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan, add cauliflower and fry over low heat for 10 minutes, until soft. Toss with drained quinoa, rice and lentils.

Add caramelised onions, with any extra oil from the pan. Add cranberries with orange juice, pistachios and fresh herbs. Make dressing with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk well to combine, taste and adjust if necessary.

Add to salad and mix well.

Middle Eastern lentils and rice with blackened onions

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 6 onions, halved and finely sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 5 cups water or vegetable stock
• 1 1/2 cups brown lentils, washed and drained
• 1 cup long grain rice, washed and drained
• 1 cup plain yoghurt, drained through muslin-lined colander for 30 minutes
• Fresh mint sprigs, to garnish

Method

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium heat.

Add one onion, garlic, cumin, cinnamon and allspice and saute for four minutes until onion is softened and lightly coloured.

Add water (or stock) and lentils and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stir in rice, return to boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and cook until liquid has been absorbed and rice and lentils are tender, about 15 minutes.

Season well with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in pan and cook remaining onions until soft, well coloured and beginning to caramelise and blacken at the edges, about 30 minutes.

Arrange rice and lentils on a platter and sprinkle with caramelised onion. Serve with yoghurt and mint.

At its simplest, this traditional Lebanese dish is made with lentils, rice, onion and water. I have added spices. The onions should be cooked really well with lots of blackened, crunchy bits. To make a creamy, thickened yoghurt, drain through a colander or sieve lined with muslin or a new Chux kitchen cloth.

Rice salad recipe

This recipe is from a friend's aunt.

The dressing is 1 part vinegar to two parts oil. I'm pretty sure that I used 1/2 cup oil and 1/4 cup of vinegar, a couple of cloves of garlic, and a teaspoon or so of brown sugar! Enjoy!

I cup cooked rice
I red capsicum
1 green capsicum
1 red onion
1 cup sultanas
1 cup peanuts
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup peppitas
1/2 cup soy sauce

dressing:
garlic
olive oil
vinegar
brown sugar