Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Roasted Chickpeas



I think most people enjoy a crunchy snack.  I know some who refuse to eat beans and nuts, but I love both.  If you like nuts, I urge you to try roasted chickpeas.  You remember chickpeas... the beans that are in hummus?  If you don't like hummus, no worries, this taste is completely different.  They are healthy and they have the flavor of a bean, but the crunchiness of a nut.  I like to make these and keep them at my desk for snacking during the workday.  I like mine a little salty, a bit garlicy, and somewhat spicy, hence my choice of spices. 

I've seen this recipe done several ways, but I've found that roasting the chickpeas without oil, then tossing them in oil halfway through the cooking process leaves you with crunchy, nutty chickpeas.  Nobody wants to snack on mushy beans.

I normally double this recipe. I can eat one batch in a single workday, so I need to have a backup.  Bonus?  This is not only a healthy snack, it's also (relatively) inexpensive.

This is an easy recipe, but I'll warn you that your entire home will smell like roasted chickpeas... not that it's a bad thing.

First drain and rinse your chickpeas...


Spread them out on a foil lined baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.


Carefully remove them from the oven and toss them in a bowl with olive oil and seasonings. 


Pour the beans back on the baking sheet, return them to the oven, and bake for an additional 15-25 minutes, or until the chickpeas are fragrant and golden brown.  A few may burn, just toss 'em.

I like to let mine cool completely before enjoying them.  They tend to get crunchier as they cool. 

Easy, right? 

Roasted Chickpeas
a Keeley original

2 cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained (I use low sodium, you can use whatever)
2 teaspoons kosher salt (to taste)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place chickpeas on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the salt, spices, and olive oil in a large bowl. 

Remove chickpeas from oven after 15 minutes, carefully pour into the spice mixture.  Toss to coat.

Return chickpeas to baking sheet and bake for an additional 15-25 minutes or until chickpeas are golden brown and fragrant.  Toss out any burned chickpeas and let the rest cool completely on the baking sheet. 

Enjoy!

4 comments:

  1. Roasted chicpeas? Sounds like channa to me! Yum! A wonderful West Indian delicacy :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hmm... channa? I haven't heard of this. I'll have to investigate the similarities.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I just recently started NOT hating chickpeas. I do like that they're crunchy, and I have seen several recipes for this snack. Since I'm really trying to eat better more consistently, I'll be giving this recipe a try once it gets cool enough to use my oven.

    ReplyDelete
  4. oh and channa are chickpeas. Channa is what they're called in india and west indian cultures.

    ReplyDelete

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