Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

I'm quite a salad-as-main-course kind of person, but serving just a salad to Rishab for a meal is bound to get an unpleasant reaction! So when i wanted to have a chickpea salad for lunch, a summer-time favorite of mine......i turned it into a 'suitable for Rishab' main dish by the addition of a chickpea sandwich! :) Yes, it turned out to be a winning strategy....as he said it was a perfect combo!

What you need for 2 servings:

For the salad -
1/2 can (200 gms) chickpeas/garbanzo beans
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
50 gms feta cheese
1/2 cup cucumber, chopped (i left the skin on)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsps olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt

For the sandwich -
2 slices white bread
1/2 cup hummus
1/3 cup mashed chickpeas
2 slices grilled and marinated aubergine

Drain the chickpeas and rinse well. Mix all the salad ingredients (apart from the feta) in a big bowl. Leave to chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving, so that all the flavours soak in.

Start making the sandwich 20 mins before you're ready to serve. Toast the 2 slices of bread. Meanwhile, mix well the hummus and mashed chickpeas. Place the aubergine slices on 1 toast, spread the hummus mixture on top, cover with the other toast, and then cut into two.

Place the sandwich in the center of a plate, add the chickpea salad all around it. Finally top it with feta, chopped or crumbled, as per your liking.

You could make the sandwich on it's own as well...just add a little feta inside!