Chickpea Radish Okra Salad

I've been taking a break from my usual carbs of rice and pasta. I recently made chickpeas from scratch, and realized the flavor and texture is far superior to any canned chickpea I've ever tasted! If you can, I highly suggest you make your beans from scratch.

This salad is kind of a deconstructed falafel, but without the sumac or onion --although you can certainly add these ingredients if you like. Mixing in the okra creates a sliminess I enjoy.

Chickpea Radish Okra Salad
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 Tbs sesame seeds
- handful of chopped cilantro
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- a few pinches of salt for the paste
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- 1/2 cup raw, thinly sliced okra
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced radish
- additional salt and black pepper to taste

In a mortar & pestle, combine the coriander, cumin, and salt and grind together into a powder. Add garlic clove and sesame seeds, to mortar, and grind to a paste. Then add chopped cilantro and lightly pound into paste to break it down into a rough pesto texture.

Combine the paste with the chickpeas, okra and radish --toss well. Adjust seasoning with salt & pepper. Eat right away, or allow to sit for a while for the flavors to meld. Enjoy!