Cumin-Infused Candy Beetroot and Puy Lentil Salad

Updated post.

I’m a huge fan of spicy food, so the idea that it can also help with weight-loss and improve overall well being is music to my ears!

Kalpna Woolf’s brand new cookbook, Spice Yourself Slim, is full of tasty, healthy recipes and meal plans. Unlike many fad diets, the concept of using spices to lose weight has strong foundations in centuries-old traditions.

To whet your appetite, Kalpna is sharing her oh-so-tasty recipe for cumin-infused candy beetroot and puy lentil salad below. I also excitingly have a copy of her book up for grabs for one lucky Honest Mum reader! You can enter at the end of this post.

Over to Kalpna…

A salad to feast your eyes and your taste buds – beautiful crispy, sweet rounds of candy beetroot, and soft spiced Puy lentils all topped with an aromatic roasted cumin creamy topping. Nutritious protein-filled lentils, balanced with potassium, magnesium and iron-rich beetroot combined with digestion-calming cumin, this is a perfect energising dish. I have also included a spice called amchoor, which is dried mango powder and has a tart taste, but if you can’t find this, then add a tablespoon of lemon juice.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

Calories per serving: 361

• 125g/4½oz/½ cup Puy lentils
• 1.5 litres/2½ pints/6¹⁄³ cups hot water
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp chilli (red pepper) flakes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ small red onion, peeled and finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
• 10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• ¼ tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp amchoor powder or 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp plain yogurt
• ¼ small cucumber, finely diced
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• a large handful of rocket (arugula)
• 2 small candy beetroots or 2 cooked beetroots (without vinegar), sliced into thin rounds or thin strips

Method

1. Put the Puy lentils into a medium pan and pour in the hot water. Bring to the boil and add ¼ teaspoon salt and the chilli flakes.
2. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15–20 minutes until the lentils are cooked (not too soft and they should retain their shape).
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and cook for 1–2 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, and gently sauté until soft. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.
4. When the lentils are ready, drain and combine them with the onions and tomatoes and mix thoroughly. (If the lentils are not ready, take the tomato mixture off the heat.)
5. Check the seasoning and stir in the amchoor powder or 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Set aside until the lentils are cool.
6. Gently whisk the yogurt in a bowl then mix in the cucumber and ground cumin.
7. Arrange the rocket leaves on a plate and pour over the lentils. Lay the beetroot slices over the top and drizzle over the yogurt mixture. Enjoy!

Tip

This lentil mixture is a good base for lots of salads and will keep for 3–4 days in a refrigerator, so you can make this the day before if wished. Do make a bit extra to add to another salad later in the week. Just double the quantities for four people.

Spice Yourself Slim By Kalpna Woolf is published by Pavilion Books. Images by Clare Winfield.

To win a copy of Spice Yourself Slim worth £16.99 please enter via The Rafflecopter below. Good luck

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ends 8.12.2016

No cash alternative.

If the winner does not respond to the email sent within 7 days, a new winner will be selected.

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