This lentil salad is low in fat and high in fibre and vegetarian protein, this delicious garlicky Moroccan dish will help you to eat properly. The sulphur compounds found in garlic and onions are powerful liver detoxifiers and natural antibiotics, turmeric contains curcumin which is said to help liver function due to its ability to stimulate bile flow. Cumin has traditionally been used to improve digestion, and research has suggested that it can enhance liver detoxification.
Serve the lentils in this lentil salad hot or cold as a main dish with some brown rice or as a side dish with grilled chicken or fish. They are delicious cold so you can always pop your leftovers in a box and take them to work the next day for lunch – although you may also need to take your toothbrush due to the garlic, so your co-workers will still speak to you!
Ingredients
Serves 4
3 tbsp olive oil
2 red onions, chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground cumin
175g brown or green lentils
900ml vegetable stock or water
4 garlic cloves, crushed
Small bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped
Salt and ground black pepper
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large pan or casserole dish and fry the onions until soft. Add the tomatoes, turmeric and cumin, then stir in the lentils. Pour in the stock or water and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender and almost all the liquid has been absorbed.
In a separate pan, fry the garlic in the remaining oil until brown and frizzled. Toss the garlic into the lentils with the fresh coriander and season to taste. Serve with wedges of lemon to squeeze over the lentils.
From Moroccan Food and Cooking by Ghillie Basan
