snacks:

crispy roasted chickpeas

Published 9th October 2018

Most people probably associate chickpeas with a hummus dip or an addition to a salad, but if you haven’t tried roasted chickpeas, you need to.

Roasted chickpeas are a great snack, a good lunch box filler and a great addition to salads, stir fries and even a meaty dish. Chickpeas are a great vegetarian and vegan protein source, providing 15g per cup, and are also a good source of low GI carbohydrate (won’t spike blood sugar levels), fibre, thiamine, vitamin B6, folate and potassium.

 
 
IMG_2349.jpg
 
 

My kids absolutely love roasted chickpeas, which are available at the supermarket and whole foods stores for a lot more than what it costs to make them at home. They can be a little bit time consuming, but they are easy to make and the bonus is that you can add whatever flavours you like to them. We like just salt, paprika or cumin, but there’s no reason why you couldn’t add a bit of chilli powder to spice them up or even some cinnamon for a sweeter touch.

When I have been playing around trying to get these chickpeas right, I have found a couple of key things to do which help, but if you plan to eat them all within the day, then don’t waste your time:

  1. Once the chickpeas have been rinsed and drained, make sure you dry them really well with paper towel.

  2. Peel the chickpeas. Once again, not essential but will definitely help with making them really crispy.

  3. Allow to cool completely in the oven – don’t skip this step!

Add a tin of chickpeas to your grocery shop this week for an extra $1-2 and try this recipe this weekend. You’ll thank me!

Enjoy xx.

 
 
 
IMG_2350.jpg
 
IMG_2350.jpg

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

  • 1-2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 tsp salt

  • Seasonings such as smoked paprika, cumin, chilli powder

 

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 160°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.

  2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.

  3. Thoroughly dry the chickpeas with paper towel. Some of the skins will start to come off during this drying process, the more you can remove now, the crispier they will be.

  4. Place chickpeas into a bowl, add olive oil and salt and toss well to coat. Place onto prepared baking tray and place into the oven. Bake for 60 minutes, shaking around after 30 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 1 hour in the oven.

  5. Remove from the oven and add desired flavours and toss well to coat.

  6. Add to salads or use as a snack.

  7. These will keep well for 4-5 days in a container with the lid slightly ajar – exposure to air will help to keep the chickpeas dry.