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1
Roast the Vegetables
25 Mins • Cooking
200°C (400°F)
Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Toss the carrot rounds, romanesco florets and halved Brussels sprouts with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and a pinch of the salt on a baking tray, spreading them in a single layer. Roast for 20–25 minutes, turning once halfway, until the edges are caramelised and the vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife.
Give the vegetables space on the tray — crowded vegetables steam instead of roasting and never get those sweet browned edges.
Done when: Vegetables tender inside with browned, caramelised edges.
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2
Soften the Onion and Garlic
8 Mins • Hands-On
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
While the vegetables roast, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy pot with a tight lid over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
Do not let the garlic brown — browned garlic turns bitter and will flavour the whole pot.
Done when: Onion soft and translucent, garlic fragrant but not coloured.
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3
Build the Tomato and Spice Base
5 Mins • Hands-On
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then add the diced tomatoes, the cumin, cinnamon, coriander and black pepper. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until the tomatoes soften and the raw tomato smell disappears and the spices smell warm and fragrant.
Frying the tomato paste briefly in the oil deepens its colour and flavour — raw paste tastes sharp and tinny.
Done when: Tomatoes softened into a thick sauce, spices fragrant, paste darkened.
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4
Add the Freekeh and Stock and Simmer
25 Mins • Cooking
Low heat, gentle simmer about 95°C (203°F)
Stir the drained freekeh into the pot with the remaining salt, coating every grain in the tomato base. Pour in the vegetable stock, stir once, and bring the pot to a gentle boil. Turn the heat to low, put the lid on tightly, and simmer for 20–25 minutes without lifting the lid, until the freekeh has absorbed the stock and is tender but still chewy.
Lifting the lid lets the steam out and the top grains stay hard. Trust the time and the smell instead.
Done when: Stock absorbed, grains tender with a firm, chewy bite — not mushy.
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5
Stir in the Peas and Lemon and Rest
10 Mins • Hands-On
No heat
Take the pot off the heat. Stir in the peas — the heat left in the pot cooks them in a few minutes without turning them grey — and the lemon juice. Put the lid back on and leave the pilaf to rest for 10 minutes so the grains finish steaming and the flavours settle.
Adding the peas at the end, off the heat, keeps them bright green and sweet instead of dull and floury.
Done when: Peas bright green and just tender, grains fluffy and separate.
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6
Serve with the Roasted Vegetables
2 Mins • Hands-On
No heat
Fluff the pilaf gently with a fork, lifting the grains rather than stirring them. Spoon it into wide bowls and pile the roasted carrots, romanesco and Brussels sprouts over the top so every serving gets grains and vegetables together.
Fluffing with a fork, not a spoon, keeps the grains separate — stirring mashes them into a porridge.
Done when: Fluffy, separate grains, glossy with oil, vegetables golden on top.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Fluff the pilaf gently with a fork, squeeze the lemon over it, and spoon the roasted vegetables over the top so every serving gets grains and vegetables together. Serve hot, with the tahini drizzle on the side.
Egypt
1h 15m
