Spicy chicken salad with fragrant lentils

Although I don't like every possible recipe with lentils that probably exist around the world, they are my favourite dry pulse and I find it quite versatile. If you think of how many different ways it can be cooked and especially how many different ingredients suit to the lentils perfectly... I would not be surprised if there is a different recipe for every single day of the year! Here we have a simple but very tasty, not to mention nutritious, salad with chicken. Nothing exceptional about the ingredients or the method but the combination of all together ends up in a very tasty dish

Recipe from "BHMAgourmet" magazine of "TO BHMA" newspaper

Ingredients (for 4 people):
2 tea-cups of lentils (preferably the coarse variety)
1-2 bay leaves (optional -my addition)
8 tbsp of olive oil
2 chicken breasts, cut in bite-size pieces
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp of ground cumin
1 tsp of ground coriander
2 lemons, the juice
salt
pepper

Method:
Usually (at least in Greece) we used to soak the dry pulses in water from the day before. In this recipe you don't need to follow this step. Put the lentils in a large pot filled with cold water, add the bay leaves (if used) and boil on medium heat for 15 minutes. Drain in a colander and leave aside.

In the meantime, in a wide non-stick frying pan warm half the oil in medium-high heat. Throw the chicken in and sauté for 2 minutes stirring with a spatula.

Season the chicken with the salt, the pepper, the cumin and the coriander and stir. Add the onion and sauté for another 5 minutes until the onion gets tender and the chicken a nice golden colour.

Arrange the lentils on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the parsley and put the chicken on top. Toss with two spoons to blend the ingredients.

Pour over with the lemon juice and the rest of the oil and mix again.

Serve the salad lukewarm along with some Greek yoghurt. *** It can also be served as a main meal adding as a company Greek pitta breads or toasted garlic bread slices.