Yamuna Devi's Spiced Chickpea Salad with Spinach

Yamuna Devi's Spiced Chickpea Salad with Spinach Yamuna Devi writes: "As an alternative to spinach, try red or green Swiss chard leaves - they are delicious. Because chard is not as tender as spinach, blanch or steam it for a minute or two before assembling the salad". Soaking time: 8 hours or overnight, Cooking time: about 2 hours, Serves: 6. 1½ cups (290g) chickpeas, soaked in water 8 hours or overnight, then drained, 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon celery seeds, 4 tablespoons lemon juice, 6 tablespoons olive or nut oil Scant ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or paprika, ¼ teaspoon yellow asafetida powder (hing), 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, 1 large ripe tomato, diced, 1 small cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded and diced, ½ of a yellow bell pepper, seeded, and diced, ½ pound (230g) fresh spinach, washed, trimmed, coarsely chopped and patted dry. Place the chickpeas in a heavy saucepan with 4 cups (1 litre) of water and simmer over low heat for 1½-2 hours or just until tender. Keep an eye on the chickpeas during the last ½ hour to prevent them from overcooking. Drain and let cool. Crush the mustard seeds and celery seeds with a mortar and pestle. Place them in a salad bowl with the lemon juice, oil, cayenne or paprika, asafetida, tomato paste, sweetener, salt and pepper, and beat with a fork or wire whisk until emulsified. Add the chickpeas, tomato, cucumber and bell pepper. Gently toss, cover and chill for 2-4 hours. Thirty minutes before serving, remove the salad from the refrigerator. Add the spinach, toss, and bring back to room temperature.