- ½ tsp coriander seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 2 oranges
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- A pinch of harissa
- 400g tin of green lentils
- 35g cashew nuts
- A handful of mint, leaves only
- 100g watercress
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1.
Put a dry frying pan over a medium heat. Add ½ tsp each coriander, cumin and fennel seeds. Toast for 2-3 mins till they start to pop. Tip into a pestle and mortar (or use a bowl and jam jar bottom) and finely grind them.
- 2.
Zest both the oranges. Juice 1 of them. Add the juice and half the zest to a large bowl. Whisk in the toasted spices, ½ tsp cinnamon, a pinch of harissa, 2 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- 3.
Drain and rinse the lentils. Tip into the dressing bowl. Finely chop the mint and mix into the lentils.
- 4.
Tear the watercress, discarding any tough stems. Arrange on a platter or plates. Scatter the dressed lentils over, folding them into the watercress.
- 5.
Slice the top and bottom from the remaining orange. Set on a board, slice the skin off and slice into rounds. Tuck the orange into the salad.
- 6.
Crush the cashews a little. Warm a dry frying pan over a medium heat. Lightly toast the cashews, shaking the pan so they don’t burn. Season with salt. Scatter over the salad. Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil and top with the rest of the orange zest.
- Tip
Extra spicy
Your leftover spices will keep for a few months if you transfer them to a jar and keep them in a cupboard out of direct sunlight. You can mix them all in 1 jar and that way you'll have a ready-to-go Moroccan mix that's perfect for flavouring tagines, soups, stews and salads. - Tip
Make a meal of it
This lentil salad is a good meal by itself, or serve it as part of a North African mezze with bowls of olives, almonds toasted with ground coriander and chilli, a salad of oranges, red onion and mint, roast peppers, couscous and baguette.
