Roasted or Fried Chickpeas

Here is a simple and fun little appetizer to serve with drinks when you have company. I use canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans) for this but you can certainly cook the chickpeas yourself. If you do, put a little baking soda into the cooking water. Chickpeas tend to stay hard outside and the baking soda helps soften them as they cook. This is a flexible recipe, you can fry them in oil or roast them in the oven, with equally good results. Be sure to make enough, as quite likely you will be sampling them and then it’s hard to stop.

---

Ingredients:

---

2 cans chick peas (garbanzo beans)

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons parsley or cilantro, chopped

Spice mixture:

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

A couple of twists of freshly ground black pepper

---

Directions:

---

Drain the chickpeas, rinse under cold water and dry well with paper towels.

Place chickpeas in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil.

Combine spice blend in a small dish and sprinkle some or all of it over the chickpeas. Toss to coat them with the spice mixture.

Roasting:

Line a baking sheet with foil.

Spread chickpeas over the foil in one layer.

Roast in a 400℉ oven for about 15 minutes or until crisp but not dry.

Remove and cool in one layer for a few minutes before piling into a serving dish.

Garnish with parsley or cilantro and serve.

Frying:

Fill a 2 quart pot with 3″ of canola oil and place over medium-high heat.

When oil is hot scoop some chickpeas with a slotted spoon and carefully lower them into the hot oil, being very careful not to burn.

Cook the chickpeas until crisp on the outside, then remove with a slotted spoon onto paper towels.

Repeat with remaining chickpeas.

Let cool and then spoon into a srving dish.

Garnish with parsley or cilantro and serve.

---