I used to dislike salads, in my earlier days. Of late, however, I have really fallen in love with them. But more than the salads themselves, I enjoy the process of creating a salad recipe. There are potentially so many permutations and combinations in using various ingredients. I also try to customise salads that are already tried and tested. And try, as much as possible, to have an array of colours in the vegetables used, a legume and a simple dressing.
I was recently browsing some Mediterranean cuisine and came across a salad that fulfilled all these requirements. I decided to try it out – of course, with some rather major modifications in the recipe. You may therefore say that I created my own salad, using the Mediterranean one as the backbone. A really yum outcome.

Ingredients
1/4 cup split Bengal gram
1 cup cucumbers, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup olives, chopped|
Vinaigrette
1 tbsp Apple Cider vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp mustard paste
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper
Method
Rinse and soak the Bengal gram for 30 minutes
Drain and transfer to a vessel
Place on stove and add 1/2 cup water
Cook for about 5 minutes or till the gram is done, but not mushy
Set aside to cool
Meanwhile, whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette
Set aside
Add the remaining salad ingredients to the cooked Bengal gram
Add the vinaigrette
Stir and mix gently
Serve immediately or refrigerate to serve chilled
Enjoy!