Lentil Salad

A quick recipe, sans exact measurements, because most of the ingredients are to be added "according to taste". Enjoy!

Ingredients

Canned lentils, drained and rinsed (or freshly cooked lentils, if you'd prefer)
Red onion, finely chopped (to about the size of the lentils)
Very finely chopped red capsicum
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
A small-medium pinch of ground cumin
A whole heap of roughly chopped coriander

Method

Literally, all there is to do, is toss it all together.

Roast pumpkin makes a great addition to this recipe. Basically any pulse would make a fine replacement for the lentils.

Cucumber Raita

Often served as an accompaniment to papad as a starter in Indian restaurants, it is traditionally served as a refreshing side dish. Delish relish!

Ingredients

Cucumbers (finely diced, or grated)
Yoghurt
Mint
Salt
Tiny bit of sugar
Ground (or whole) cumin
Ground coriander seeds

Method

Once again, a simple case of tossing all the ingredients together, in proportions according to taste.


The possible variations on this recipe are near endless (as demonstrated by this wiki article, for those of you who are interested in the origins and etymology of 'raita'), but one of my favorites is to add some very finely diced red onion. Another brilliant one suggested by one of my mother's friends is to add roughly chopped roasted peanuts.

What alterations on this recipe have worked for you? As always, we'd love to hear from you!