Freekeh Pilaf

Have you tried "Greenwheat Freekeh" yet? It is gorgeous, well I think so anyway!

I used the "Artisan Grains Greenwheat Freekeh", which you can buy from health food stores, but I think most Tesco supermarkets now sell it. 

You can use it to replace rice as I have done in the recipe below, couscous, or instead of bulgur wheat to make a tabbouleh. It is made from young grains of wheat which are lightly toasted to give it a light nutty taste. The young grains are full of nutritional benefits, which are quick and easy to cook. It is a great source of fibre, high in protein and has higher level of some minerals than brown rice.

If you haven't tried it yet you really must.

 Ingredients
100g Greenwheat Freekah
500ml Boiling water
1 Onion, finely diced
½ Chilli, finely diced
¼ Tsp Freshly grated tumeric, use dry if you don't have fresh
½ Tsp Freshly grated ginger
1 Garlic, finely chopped or pressed through a garlic presser
8 Cherry tomatoes, quartered
250g prepared mung beans (or use 1 tin, drained)*

* You can replace the mung beans with green lentils if you prefer, I've made it with both ingredients and both are delicious.
Method

Add the freekeh and boiling water to a saucepan and simmer until most of the water has been absorbed, around 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute the onion in a little oil ( I used groundnut oil) until translucent, then add the chilli, garlic, ginger and turmeric, and saute for another minute, stirring all the time. 

Add the tomatoes and a little water if things are starting to stick to the bottom of the pan. The tomatoes don't need cooking for long, you just want them to start to go soft 

Next add the mung beans or green lentils and give everything a good stir. You just need to warm the mung beans or lentils through as they are already cooked.

Finally add the freekeh and stir to combine, and serve straight away.