Spiced chickpeas & fresh vegetable salad
Salad / Summer / Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi / Serves: 6

100g dried chickpeas
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 small cucumbers (280g)
2 large tomatoes (300g)
240g radishes
1 red pepper, deseeded and white flesh removed
1 small red onion, peeled
20g coriander leaves and stems, roughly chopped
15g flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
90ml olive oil
grated zest of 1 lemon, plus 2 tbsp juice
1½ tbsp sherry vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp ground cardamom
1½ tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cumin
Greek yoghurt (optional) salt and black pepper

Notes

You can serve this dish as it is, with just a thick, fresh pita. The salad also works on its own without the chickpeas (just omit the sugar).

Source

Jerusalem
Ebury Press: 2012
p.56

Soak the dried chickpeas overnight in a large bowl with plenty of cold water and the bicarbonate of soda.
The next day, drain, place in a large saucepan and cover with water twice the volume of the chickpeas.
Bring to the boil and simmer for about an hour, skimming off any foam, until completely tender, then drain.

Cut the cucumber, tomato, radish and pepper into 1.5cm dice; cut the onion into 0.5cm dice.
Mix everything together in a bowl with the coriander and parsley.

In a jar or sealable container mix 75ml of the olive oil, the lemon juice and zest, sherry vinegar, garlic and sugar and mix well to form a dressing, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss lightly.

Mix together the cardamom, allspice, cumin and ¼ teaspoon of salt and spread on a plate.
Toss the cooked chickpeas in the spice mixture in a few batches to coat well.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan and over a medium heat lightly fry the chickpeas for 2–5 minutes, gently shaking the pan so they cook evenly and don't stick. Keep warm.

Divide the salad between four plates, arranging it in a large circle, and spoon the warm spiced chickpeas on top, keeping the edge of the salad clear.
You can drizzle some Greek yoghurt on top to make the salad creamy.