Carrot and cashew crisp with hot lentil salad

Method

1. For the carrot and cashew crisp: preheat oven to 200C/gas 6.

2. Blend carrot and onion in a food processor until very fine.

3. Put into a bowl with the nuts, crumbs and 4tbsp of dill and season well. Mix well until the mixture is moist and clumping together.

4. Grease and line two 20cm sandwich tins with baking paper.

5. Divide the carrot mixture equally between the tins and press down well. Brush generously with oil – 1½ tbsp for each tin.

6. Bake for about 35 minutes. It should be firm and quite crispy on top. Let it stand for 5 minutes then turn out onto a flat surface to serve. While the crisp is cooking, prepare the lentils.

7. For the hot lentil salad: put the lentils in saucepan, add the peel of half an orange and 6 cardamom pods.

8. Cover with boiling water and add salt. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 15 – 20 minutes until ‘al dente’.

9. Next make a dressing for the salad by combining the crushed garlic, 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice, 1 teaspoon of the pomegranate molasses, 3 tablespoons chopped dill and half a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

10. When the lentils are cooked, remove the cardamom pods and orange peel, drain well and mix immediately with the dressing. Put to one side.

11. For the sauce: grate the zest from 1 orange and put into a small saucepan.

12. Juice all remaining oranges and add to the pan, together with the remaining 6 cardamom pods, 1½ tsp pomegranate molasses and water.

13. Bring to the boil then simmer until the mixture has reduced by about two thirds. Remove from the heat. It should thicken to a thick, runny consistency.

14. To serve:cut each circle of carrot and cashew into 8 wedges.

15. Top each mound of lentils with 4 overlapping wedges of carrot and cashew, crispy side up. Drizzle the plate with the orange and cardamom sauce and garnish with a sprinkling of dill and pomegranate seeds.

© Marise Maddison 2008, recipe created for Cordon Vert. Visit www.cordonvert.co.uk
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