Freekeh with Roasted Vegetables

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Roasted Vegetables

1. 1
   Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).

   ⚙ Preheating the OvenOven

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
2. 2
   In a bowl, toss the vegetables, zucchini, pepper and onion with the olive oil, salt and black pepper.

   Bowl
3. 3
   Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer, without crowding.

   Baking pan
4. 4
   Roast the vegetables, zucchini, pepper and onion in a hot oven (200°C / 390°F) 25 minutes, until the vegetables brown.

   ⚙ Oven roastingOvenBaking pan

   💡Give it room in the pan: crowded vegetables steam instead of browning.

To assemble

1. 5
   Heat the fat in a pot over medium heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStovePot
2. 6
   Add the garlic and fry 1 minute, just until fragrant.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
3. 7
   Add the freekeh and the turmeric, cumin and paprika and stir 2 minutes, until all the grains are coated in fat.
4. 8
   Add the vegetable stock, season with salt and black pepper and bring to a boil.

   Stove
5. 9
   Turn down to low, cover and simmer 40 minutes without opening the lid, until the liquid is absorbed.

   ⚙ SimmeringStoveLid

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
6. 10
   Mix the roasted vegetables into the freekeh.
7. 11
   Turn off the heat and leave covered 5–10 minutes.

   💡Don't open the lid during cooking: the steam is what cooks the top layer. A towel between the pot and the lid absorbs the drips, so the rice doesn't get soggy.
8. 12
   Gently stir in the mint.
9. 13
   Gently fluff with a fork and serve.