Five-grain salad

There’s a lot to love about this stunning salad. While not technically grains, the quinoa, lentils and barley make this dish a complete meal. Served with a glass of wine and perhaps a little bread, it’s the perfect picnic food.

Credit: Andrew Davies

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 50 g (¼ cup) red quinoa, rinsed
• 50 g (¼ cup) white quinoa, rinsed
• 80 g (⅓ cup) black lentils (urad dahl)
• 80 g (⅓ cup) puy lentils, rinsed
• 80 g (⅓ cup) pearl barley, rinsed
• 100 ml pomegranate molasses
• 150 ml olive oil
• 1 bunch rocket, rinsed and trimmed and roughly chopped
• 100 g green beans, trimmed, blanched and sliced
• 50 g (⅓ cup) raw almonds, roasted and coarsely chopped
• 1 large pomegranate, seeds removed
• 200 g goat’s curd
  
  

Instructions

Place the red and white quinoa in separate small saucepans. Add 125 ml (½ cup) water to each pan, bring to the boil over low heat, then cover and simmer for 12 minutes or until the water has evaporated and the grains are tender. The red quinoa may take a couple of minutes extra. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Place the black lentils, puy lentils and barley in separate small saucepans. Cover well with cold water and simmer over medium heat until tender. Drain and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, place the pomegranate molasses and olive oil in a small jar with a fitted lid, season with salt and pepper and shake to combine.

Place the cooked grains and pulses in a large serving bowl. Add the rocket, beans, almonds and pomegranate seeds. Just before serving, shake the dressing well, then pour over the salad and toss to combine well. Scatter with dollops of goat’s curd and serve.

Recipe courtesy of Andrew Davies of Press food & wine, Adelaide.

Tune into the SBS 2 Broadcast of Tropfest at 8:30pm on Sunday December 7.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.