A vibrant and fragrant combination starring ancient grains with a buttery taste
Diana Henry The Telegraph's award-winning cookery writer
Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.
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Kamut, otherwise known as khorasan wheat, is an ancient grain. The grains are quite large (sometimes up to three times bigger than modern wheat) and have a buttery kind of taste that works well with really big flavours (harissa, preserved lemons, blush tomatoes, green olives), though you do have to soak it overnight before cooking. You can find kamut in wholefood stores or online. Or use spelt, farro or barley.
Overview
Prep time
35 mins
Cook time
1 hr
5 mins
Serves
6
-8 as a side dish
Ingredients
- 175g kamut (available at heath food stores), soaked overnight and drained
- 1 aubergine
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 roasted pepper (can be from a jar)
- 50g green olives, pitted and chopped
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and very finely sliced
- 3 small preserved lemons
- 10g parsley, chopped
- 10g coriander, chopped
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
For the dressing
- juice of 1 lemon
- 60ml olive oil
- 2 tsp harissa
- ½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
For the saffron yogurt
- good pinch saffron strands
- 250g Greek yogurt
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Method
Step
Cook 175g soaked kamut in boiling water until tender (45-50 minutes).
Step
Cut 1 aubergine into 2cm cubes.
Step
Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a pan and fry the aubergine until golden all over and soft right through (about 10 minutes). Add 1½ tsp cumin and ½ tsp ground cinnamon and cook for a further three minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Step
Drain the kamut and run cold water through to cool it. Make sure you shake the sieve to get rid of excess water, otherwise it dilutes the dressing.
Step
Put the kamut into a serving bowl with the aubergine and 1 x 400g drained tin of chickpeas.
Step
Cut 1 roasted pepper into thin strips and add that too, along with 50g pitted and chopped olives and 1 deseeded and finely sliced chilli.
Step
Halve 3 preserved lemons, discard the pulp and cut the rind into shreds. Add to everything else along with 10g chopped parsley and 10g chopped coriander.
Step
Mix together the juice of 1 lemon, 60ml olive oil, 2 tsp harissa, ½ tsp toasted cumin seeds and 1 crushed garlic clove and fork it into the salad.
Step
Taste for seasoning. Scatter 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds on top.
Step
To prepare the saffron yogurt, put two tablespoons of boiling water in a glass and add a good pinch of saffron. Leave to infuse for 15 minutes.
Step
Put 250g Greek yogurt into a bowl and stir in 1 crushed garlic clove. Spoon the saffron liquid on top – you can stir it in partly, but don’t do it completely – and drizzle on 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil. Serve on the side.