Noor's Watermelon Salad with Cucumber, Red Onion and Ricotta Salata

Photo by:

Matt Russell & Matt Wardle

Extracted from Lugma, by Noor Murad (Quadrille $37.50). Photography by Matt Russell & Matt Wardle

Growing up, watermelons were a much-loved treat to sink my teeth into during the peak of the summer heat when I needed something refreshing and hydrating. It seems almost wrong of me not to include a recipe for watermelon in this book, as it’s such a unifying ingredient across the Middle East, for reasons both cultural and political. So here is a very simple salad, which I instruct you to devour on the hottest day of the year with reckless abandon.

Ingredients

½ red onion, finely chopped (60g /2 ¼oz)
1 tsp Wild Heimang Sumac, plus an extra ½ tsp to serve
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 Lebanese cucumbers (240g/8 ½ oz), seeds removed, cut into 1cm (½ in) cubes (180g/6 ¼oz)
10g (¼oz) parsley, roughly chopped
10g (¼oz) basil leaves, picked
4 tbsp olive oil
¼ large or ½ small ripe watermelon, seeds removed, cut into 2-3cm (1-1 ¼in) cubes to give 700g (1lb 9oz); snack on any left over
70g (2 ½oz) ricotta salata (or use feta), finely crumbled
Surya Salt or fine sea salt

Methods

Add the onion, sumac, lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon salt to a small bowl and toss to combine. Set aside to pickle gently while you get on with the rest.
Mix the cucumbers with ½ teaspoon salt, then place in a sieve (strainer) set over a bowl. Leave for about 20 minutes, then discard any liquid in the bowl.
Add the parsley, basil and 3 tablespoons of the oil to the bowl of a small food processor and blitz until very smooth. Add this to the drained cucumbers and mix to combine.
To serve, arrange the watermelon and ricotta salata on a large plate and evenly spoon over the onion and cucumber mixtures. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil, sprinkle with the extra sumac and serve right away.