Curried Rice Salad

FOR THE SALAD:

Rinse the dried chickpeas and put them in a large pot. Cover with 3 inches of water. Bring the water and beans to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Cover and cook until beans are tender, about an hour to an hour and a half. After 45 minutes, start checking the beans to see if they are done. When the beans are ready, add a large pinch of salt and drain. Allow the beans to cool. (To save on time, you can use two 15 ounce cans of chickpeas and rinse thoroughly).

Cook the rice according to package instructions. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the apricots to the rice pot to allow them to plump. Cool the rice.

While rice and chickpeas are cooking, preheat the oven to 400F. Toss the sweet potatoes with olive oil, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste. Roast, stirring occasionally, 20-25 minutes. Allow sweet potatoes to cool.

Combine the rice, chickpeas, sweet potatoes, spinach, red onion, dried cranberries in a large bowl. Toss with yogurt dressing (below).

FOR THE DRESSING:

In a small bowl, combine the ginger, garlic, vinegar, honey, curry powder, salt, pepper, cilantro, yogurt, and lime juice. Adjust seasonings to taste. Pour over salad when serving.