Cypriot Grain Salad☘️

George Calombaris' Cypriot Grain Salad has been a favourite for quite some time now. I always make sure that l have all the ingredients in store to make this salad, as l do with all the recipes I recommend.

It requires a little more prep than my usual style of cooking but it is a real crowd pleaser which makes it all worthwhile. I toast the seeds and nuts (separately), in a pan on medium heat, deseed my pomegranate, cook the lentils and freekah the night before. On the day, I wash the herbs well of any sign of dirt, remove any ugly leaves, chop them, and finally add them to the salad with the rest of the ingredients. I omit the red onion if my guests have food sensitivities.

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 bunch coriander, shredded
• ½ bunch parsley, shredded
• ½ red onion, finely diced
• 1 cup freekeh, cooked
• ½ cup du puy lentils
• 2 tbs each pumpkin seeds,
• slivered almonds, pine nuts,
• all toasted
• 2 tbs Lilliput capers
• ½ cup currants
• 1 tbs red wine vinegar
• 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt to taste
• 1 pomegranate, seeded

Dressing  

• 1 cup thick Greek Natural Yoghurt 
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds toasted and ground
• 1 tablespoon honey

Method

• Blanch freekah and lentils separately in boiling water until both just cooked.
• Drain well and allow to cool.
• Mix the yoghurt, ground cumin and honey until combined.
• In a medium bowl, place the coriander, parsley, red onion, freekah, lentils, toasted nuts and seeds,  capers, currants, red wine vinegar and olive oil. Mix well and season to taste.
• Place into serving dish and top with cumin yoghurt and pomegranate seeds