Imad Alarnab served up mujadara with crispy onions, pickled cucumbers, laban bi khiar and baba ganoush on Saturday Kitchen.

The ingredients for the pickled cucumbers are: 8–10 baby cucumbers, 2 tbsp rock salt, 5–10 chillies and 4–6 peeled garlic cloves.

For the mujadara: 200g dried brown lentils, 100ml extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp cumin seeds, 1 large onion, finely chopped, 1 tsp baharat, 1 tsp mild Madras curry powder, 200g coarse bulgur wheat, salt and freshly ground black pepper and shop-bought crispy onions, to serve.

For the baba ganoush: 3 large aubergines, 1 lemon, juice only, 4 confit garlic cloves, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp salt, 100g tahini, 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses, to serve, 50g pomegranate seeds, to serve and 2 tbsp olive oil, to serve.

For the laban bikhiar: ½ cucumber, grated, 350g Greek-style yoghurt (get the best-quality sour yoghurt, not too sweet), 2 garlic cloves, finely grated or smashed to a paste, 2 tbsp dried mint, large pinch sea salt flakes and ½ lemon, juice only (optional).

To serve: cherry tomatoes, chopped.

See recipes by Imad in the book titled: Imad’s Syrian Kitchen available from Amazon now.