The inspiration for this recipe came from a conversation I had with a Yemeni refugee on the Greek island of Lesbos who had walked almost all the way to Turkey to escape the war in his home country. This is an absolutely extraordinary feat by any standards, but even more so given he was injured from the war. We spoke about oshaar, a preserved lemon pickle, and zhoug, a spicy coriander relish, both frequently used in Yemeni food, and it was these discussions that led me to create this dish. My version of zhoug is quite mild but, if you want to up the chilli, feel free. The garlic in it is also quite intense if you eat it immediately, but the acidity mellows it out after an hour. Any leftover zhoug can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. To make this more substantial, I sometimes add a few halves of hard-boiled eggs. Serve at room temperature.
Serves 2 as a main, or 4 as part of a mezze
For the lentils
green lentils 200g
cumin seeds ½ tsp
lemon juice 2 tbsp
extra virgin olive oil 4 tbsp
preserved lemon 3 heaped tbsp, finely chopped (rinsed before chopping)
cooked beetroot 200g, cut into 2.5cm chunks
parsley leaves a large handful
