tabbouleh

I was at a David Hare play recently and a character had to explain what made his salad so special: pomegranate seeds was the answer.  And so it is here. This is based on two Ottolenghi recipes.  I have had many varieties of tabbouleh, as it is a dish that seems to have been popular across the middle east from Persia to the Levant and beyond.   

Enough for 5 or 6 as a starter of side salad

This version does not use bulgar wheat, which is a common ingredient, but you could add it for a less intense flavour, especially as an accompaniment

Chop very finely:
Good bunch of flat parsley,
2 medium tomatoes
Same amount of cucumber
Seeds of 1 pomegranate (about 50g)
A large shallot
2 spring onions

1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil

Spices: 1 teaspoon each:
allspice
cardamom seeds
nutmeg
cinnamon sticks
black mustard seeds
coriander seeds
cumin

Whizz the spices in an electric grinder (you can substitute already ground spices if you dont have them whole, but whole is much better. The smell after whizzing is heavenly).
When whizzed you will find the shells of cardamom and other seeds have not been ground and come to the top.  Sieve to get just the ground spices.

Mix together all the chopped ingredients.
Stir in the lemon and oil.
Mix in the sieved spices.
Cover and place in the fridge until chilled.