Shawarma Roasted Vege Salad with Herby Lentils
Ottolenghi’s shawarma marinade is excellent for fast vegetable dishes. It’s best if you can allow the vegetables to marinate for a few hours, or overnight, but it’s still good cooked immediately.
Ingredients
800g vegetables such as kūmara, pumpkin, or celeriac, cut into 1 cm slices
4 Tbsp Ottolenghi shawarma marinade
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine or sherry vinegar
¼ cup dried lentils (or use ½ tin lentils)
A really good handful of herbs such as parsley and coriander, finely chopped
A good handful of rocket leaves
Thick Greek yoghurt, to serve
For the paprika oil:
½ cup olive oil
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
Method
To make the paprika oil:
Heat the oil until it begins to shimmer but don’t let it boil. Turn off the heat and add the paprika. Allow to cool for a few hours. Strain through cheesecloth into a small container.
For the salad:
In a large bowl, toss the vegetables with 2 tablespoons of the shawarma marinade and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Ideally leave to marinate overnight, but even up to 30 minutes is good!
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Put the vegetables onto the baking tray in a single layer. Season with salt and bake until tender, approximately 30 minutes.
Make the dressing by mixing 2 tablespoons of the shawarma marinade with the remaining olive oil and the vinegar. Place the lentils in a pan and cover with water. Cook for 20-25 minutes until just tender. Drain the lentils and combine with half the dressing. Just before serving, add the herbs to the lentils.
Smear some yoghurt on the bottom of a platter, then add the vegetables and half the rocket leaves. Scatter over the lentils, then finish with remaining rocket, dressing, extra yoghurt, and some paprika oil.