Carrot and mung bean salad

April 6th, 2011

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This salad has so many things going for it. It’s healthy (natch), cheap (carrots and dried beans) and surprisingly quick to make. Not only that, but it keeps like a dream.

Inspired by an Ottolenghi dish from Nopi, this works in the same way as most of his cooking i.e. it’s best as part of spread. Try it with a simple salad, some hummus and flatbread or throw in some protein in the shape of haloumi, grilled mackerel or roast chicken.

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200g mung beans
50g butter
3-4 small carrots, sliced diagonally
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp chopped parsley
olive oil
½ lemon
labneh or Greek yoghurt, to serve

  • Tip the mung beans into a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes, or until the beans are tender. (Keep and eye on them after 30 minutes as they can turn to mush in the blink of an eye.)
  • Meanwhile, melt the butter and splash of olive oil in a large frying pan and add the carrot slices (don’t crowd the pan, it’s better to do them in two batches instead) and cumin seeds.
  • Fry for about five minutes on each side, or until golden-brown and tender, then season really well.
  • Once the beans are cooked, drain, rinse in cold water, then drain again.
  • Tip the beans into a bowl and add the garlic, parsley, a generous glug of olive oil and some lemon juice. Season well and give it a good mix. Add more seasoning, lemon juice or oil, to taste.
  • Carefully stir in the carrots, then tip the whole thing onto a large serving plate. Top with dollops of labneh, some more parsley and maybe an extra drizzle of olive oil.
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