This fab summer salad is from Jane Baxter, head chef at Riverford Field Kitchen. There are lots of ingredients but it’s fun pottering about in the kitchen, putting them together, particularly if there’s something good on the radio and you’ve got a glass of wine on the go. The kachumber salad is traditionally an Indian relish – it’s really fresh and makes a great partner for the earthy lentils. I know it’s not summer yet but you’d think so, with these unseasonal temperatures! Any excuse to make it, anyway ..
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 mackerel fillets
2 tsp olive oil
For the lentil salad:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp chopped tomatoes
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
Pinch cinnamon
150g puy lentils
360ml water to cook
Salt & pepper
For the kachumber salad:
6 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped
Half a cucumber, de-seeded and chopped
½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp coriander, chopped
Salt & pepper
For the lentil salad:
Heat the oil in a pan, cook the onions and garlic until soft, add the tomatoes, spices and cook for a few minutes before adding the lentils. Mix well
Pour in the water, boil and simmer until the lentils are cooked, about 30 mins.
(Keep an eye on them, keep stirring, adding more water if necessary).
Remove from the heat, season, let it cool.
Mix all the ingredients for the kachumber, season, set to one side.
Brush the mackerel fillets with a little oil and grill them gently both sides.
Place a few spoonfuls of lentils and little of the kachumber salad on a serving dish, top with the mackerel and more of the salad. Finish with chopped coriander.