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Party Recipe: Spicy Oven-Roasted Chickpeas

2008_02_22-Chickpeas.jpg

Did you know that a can of chickpeas and a little salt and spice can make a crunchy, terribly addictive snack? It's so easy! Here's how...

When you roast chickpeas they shrivel up just a little into dry and crunchy globes. They're like wasabi peas - tiny, easy to eat, and addictive. We shake salt and garam masala over ours.

We just discovered this little technique, but it's quite popular - you can find many recipes on the internet for roasted and fried chickpeas. Here's how we do it. Have you ever tried this, and how do you make them?

Spicy Oven-Roasted Chickpeas
about 2 cups

1 15 ounce can organic chickpeas
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon chunky sea salt
2 teaspoons spice like garam masala

Heat the oven 400°F. Pour the chickpeas into a colander and drain and rinse very well under running water. Pat dry.

Toss the chickpeas with the olive oil and spread out on a large cookie sheet. Roast for 30-40 minutes or until brown and crispy. Turn and stir every ten minutes so they don't burn.

Take out and toss to taste with salt and spices.

Comments (17)

oh, thank you! i had these at a restaurant in SF recently, and loved them - definitely want to make them at home now.

posted by bokeh on 2008-02-23 16:42:38
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what size can of chickpeas?

posted by sillyLN on 2008-02-23 17:07:21
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That looks wonderful--reminds me of kale chips, another vaguely healthy alternative to store-bought junk food, even with the salt and oil. I think I know what I'm making for our next movie night.

posted by Leslie in Portland on 2008-02-23 17:29:05
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I saw this on Martha Stewart's site today. :)

posted by Marbargarbo on 2008-02-23 21:36:12
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ooh my goodness, these looks delicious! i will def. have to try to make these tomorrow. hopefully i can find garam masala here at a local international food/grocery store.

posted by aspw on 2008-02-23 22:23:03
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Nice looking recipe but take care, there is a recall going on for botulism in canned garbonzo beans.


http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/newera.html

posted by listener on 2008-02-24 11:43:19
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Just a 15-ounce can - updated the recipe. Thanks.

posted by faith on 2008-02-24 12:40:24
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You can buy something similar from Middle Eastern stores.

posted by kaanswfm on 2008-02-24 20:25:16
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Listener, I don't think that most of us are using the 6 pound cans so no worries about the recall.

posted by sally599 on 2008-02-25 12:16:06
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I make these with a little salt, pepper, olive oil and nutritional yeast. Friends got my husband and I into nutritional yeast as a great topping for popcorn... with a little butter too, if you please. The yeast gives it a slight cheesy flavor, that really works well with the chickpeas. I buy the Red Star brand of nutritional yeast from a local health food store, and I think bigger stores like Whole Foods sell it too.

posted by thesamanthafiles on 2008-02-25 16:15:41
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just curious...why do you toss with spices after roasting as opposed to before? wouldn't pre-spicing lead to a deeper flavor?

posted by carignane on 2008-02-26 15:42:08
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carignane, it depends on the spices, I suppose. This is a long roasting time - I would be concerned that the spices would burn.

I make my garam masala with spices that I toast deeply first, before grinding, so it's already a dark flavor.

Try it both ways, though, and tell us how it turns out!

posted by faith on 2008-02-26 15:50:36
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This is really good! My mom makes this, but hers is a spicier version...being Indian and all, we can't eat anything that isn't spiced to the max! We also do this with daal (lentils), it's all really addictive.

posted by rehreh_13 on 2008-02-28 10:53:04
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Mine did not work out :(. I was so excited to try them. i was trying to get the dark popped look in the pic and it took me almost 2 hrs baking at 350 degrees toward the end i put the oven at 400! They were still soft inside but i just didn't love them. I did use a differnt spice blend but i still thought it would be ok as i have seen differnt spice mixes out there. I don't think i will try this again.

posted by http://organicandnaturalmom.blogspot.com/ on 2008-03-02 20:23:03
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I just tried these and the problem I had was that after roasting, the salt and spices (mostly the kosher salt) didn't really stick. It just ended up in the bottom of the bowl. I think I'd do that salt with the oil at the start of roasting and only the spice at the end.

I roasted for 40 mins at 400° F and the outside was sort of crunchy, while the inside was still soft. Quite snacky and moreish, but not what I expected from the description.

Also, one can doesn't make very much. A tiny bowl at most I'd do at least 2 cans (if not 4) if you're having people over.

posted by angorian on 2008-03-21 12:36:56
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Can you use dry chickpeas that have soaked over night? I'm trying to just use up what I have, and so I did put some on to soak last night. I tried to find some at the store, but I think they hide them on me!

posted by Melissa A. on 2008-03-29 16:06:34
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Question:

I cannot tolerate verrrry spicy stuff and i'm not sure how available garam masala is in my area- so what do you think would be a good substitute? thanks

posted by bmorre on 2008-03-30 15:18:06
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