Fonio salad

 

Ingredients

500 g fonio

120 ml water

3 cups (approx. 500 g) mango, peeled and diced

2 cups (approx. 60 g) of greens (dandelion, baby spinach or any preferred green)

¼ cup (approx. 40 g) cashews or other nuts

1 cup (approx. 150 g) cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup (approx. 175 g) red bell pepper (capsicum), thinly sliced

fresh herbs: basil, coriander (cilantro) and mint

Dressing

extra virgin olive oil

squeeze of lime juice

raw honey

kosher salt

black pepper

pinch of Aleppo pepper, if desired

Preparation

1. Toast the fonio in a saucepan until it is warm. Add the water, cover the saucepan with a lid and cook on a low heat for 20 minutes. The fonio will absorb the water. Set aside to cool in the fridge while you prepare the other ingredients.


2. Peel and slice the mangos. Dice them into small chunks.


3. Wash and dry your preferred greens, such as dandelion, spinach or any other greens. Baby spinach works well for its subtle flavour and crisp texture.


4. Add cashew nuts or your choice of nuts for a sweet and crunchy texture.


5. Halve the cherry tomatoes and thinly slice the red bell pepper (you can also use yellow or orange bell pepper). Remove the seeds from the pepper.


6. Use a combination of fresh basil, coriander and mint for a savoury and refreshing flavour.


7. Combine all the ingredients in a large salad bowl.


8. Season and dress the salad with a dash of kosher salt, black pepper, lime juice, raw honey and extra virgin olive oil. Add Aleppo pepper for a bit of heat. If available, use a flavourful olive oil.

Tip: if you are not serving the salad immediately, hold off on seasoning and dressing until you are ready. Taste the salad after seasoning and adjust if needed, adding more salt, Aleppo pepper or lime juice according to your preference. There are no rules to this so enjoy customizing your salad!

About the chef

Chef Binta

Sierra Leone

Chef Fatmata Binta hails from Sierra Leone, and her culinary practice is rooted in the Fulani people’s family and community cooking traditions. The first African to receive the Basque Culinary World Prize in 2022, Chef Binta is using the prize money to set up the Fulani Kitchen Foundation supporting women farmers and their cultivation of fonio, a type of millet, as an additional source of income and a crop that is resilient to climate change. She is a strong promoter of fonio and the International Year of Millets 2023.