“Every time you cook Palestinian food, you remember the farmers who cared for the land, the hands that harvested its fruits and the generations who shared its flavours. It becomes more than food — it becomes a story of land, love and resilience; a story carried forward by the hands and hearts that keep it alive.”Sally Azzam
Ingredients
Serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as a main:
For the salad:
- 100g organic maftoul
- 200ml water or stock
- 4 medium beetroots, peeled and diced
- 1 medium red onion, finely diced
- 2 tsp sumac, plus extra for serving
- A pinch of sea salt
- A large handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley and mint, roughly chopped
- 40g almonds, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
For the dressing:
- Juice of 1½ lemons
- 90ml of extra virgin olive oil
- A generous pinch of sea salt
Step-by-step guide
- Cook the beetroot first — either boil the peeled and diced pieces for 12–15 minutes until just tender, or roast at 200°C / 180°C fan for 30–35 minutes with a drizzle of olive oil until soft and lightly caramelised. Leave to cool.
- Sally suggests toasting the maftoul in a saucepan with a little olive oil on a low heat for a minute or two, to bring out their nutty flavour. Add the water or stock and cook until the maftoul are tender but still retain a slight bite. Drain off any remaining liquid and spread out on a flat plate to cool quickly.
- Place the diced red onion in a bowl with the sumac and a pinch of salt. Toss well and leave for 10 minutes to soften slightly and absorb the sumac.
- Once the beetroot and maftoul are cool, gently mix them together — watch as the beetroot juices colour the grains a deep, vivid pink. Add the sumac-coated onion and stir gently. Leave to one side to allow the colours and flavours to settle into the maftoul.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients, adjusting the lemon and salt to taste. Pour over the maftoul mixture and stir gently. Taste to make sure there’s enough lemon and oil to balance the sweetness of the beetroot — add a little more of either if needed.
- Fold in most of the chopped herbs and almonds, keeping some back to scatter on top. Transfer to a serving dish and finish with the remaining herbs, nuts, a scattering of sumac and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
Ideal with a summer mezze spread — try alongside tomatoes with sumac, labneh, fried halloumi and rocket salad. For a spicy kick, add a spoonful of olive makdous.
