Middle Eastern Chickpea and Olive Salad

Sometimes a food event will inspire me to come up with something I hadn't necessarily planned on making. Such was the case with this moderately spiced, chickpea and olive Middle Eastern appetizer, or salad if you prefer, that I made specifically for *AWED*, an event started by Dhivya celebrating world cuisine. Siri is hosting this month's edition and she choose Middle Eastern Cuisine as the theme. Originally I was going to make halva, but suddenly the deadline was upon me and so I opted for something more familiar and simple that turned out to be decidedly filling enough to serve as a satisfying meal in itself alongside some rice and perhaps some Beetroot Halwa for dessert.

Do resist the overwhelming temptation to add feta or goat cheese, at least the first time you make this. There will be a next time, yes there will.

Chickpea and Olive Appetizer

1 cup of dried chickpeas, rinsed and soaked overnight
2/3 cup of black olives, pitted and sliced
1 - 2 scallions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 small clove of garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
1 tablespoon of olive oil
juice from one small lemon
sea salt

Bring the chickpeas to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and simmer until the beans are soft - about 1 - 2 hours. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl and let cool.

Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well and serve.

Serves 4 or more if you do serve as an appetizer.