Holiday time is party time and party time means snacks. Although I appreciate Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) and have used them in a number of dishes over the years including Hummus, I had never tried them roasted before. In my repertoire of snacks are a number of variations using peanuts, almonds, pecans, etc. and now I have added roasted Chickpeas to the mix. They are lower in fat than nuts and have a significant amount of insoluble fiber which is good for the digestive system.

People in some parts of the world eat Chickpeas every day. Not only are they a healthier snack option for you and your guests, they just might be a great conversation starter. More information about the health benefits of Chickpeas can be found on the World’s Healthiest Foods website.

Here’s how I made these:

The main ingredient in this snack is the Chickpeas themselves, which must be cooked in order to change their physical composition into a crunchy snack. You could use canned Chickpeas, but I preferred to make them freshly prepared from dried. My favorite place in Houston for purchasing dried legumes is a place on Westheimer called Phoenicia.

I took two cups of dried Chickpeas, placed them in a pot, covered them with water and brought to a boil. Then I turned down the fire and simmered for three hours, until they were tender. Next I drained them, spread them out on oven sheets and baked them at 350 degrees for 30 minutes to get them dry enough to accept the coatings (stirring every 10 minutes). This produced about five cups of cooked oven dried Chickpeas.

Then I added them to the following recipes:

ROASTED CHICKPEAS – HUMMUS

Ingredients
1 c Chickpeas, cooked and oven dried

1 T Tahini
1 T Olive oil
1 t Garlic powder
1/2 t Salt, Kosher

Instructions
Mix coating ingredients in a bowl, add Chickpeas and stir to coat. Spread in one layer on an oven pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, until crispy. Be careful not to let them burn.

ROASTED CHICKPEAS – SPICY

Ingredients
1 c Chickpeas, cooked and oven dried

1 T Olive oil
2 t Chili powder
1 t Garlic powder
1 t Red pepper (Cayenne)
1 t Louisiana Habanero Hot Sauce
1/2 t Cumin
1/2 t Paprika
1/2 t Salt, Kosher

Instructions
Mix coating ingredients in a bowl, add Chickpeas and stir to coat. Spread in one layer on an oven pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, until crispy. Be careful not to let them burn.

ROASTED CHICKPEAS – WASABI

Ingredients
1 c Chickpeas, cooked and oven dried

1 t Wasabi paste
1 t Peanut Oil
1 t Soy Sauce

Instructions
Mix coating ingredients in a bowl, add Chickpeas and stir to coat. Spread in one layer on an oven pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, until crispy. Be careful not to let them burn.

ROASTED CHICKPEAS – SRIRACHA

Ingredients
1 c Chickpeas, cooked and oven dried

2 t Sriracha sauce
1 ½ t Peanut Oil
1 t Rice Vinegar
½ t Kosher salt
½ t Red Pepper
¼ t Garlic powder

Instructions
Mix coating ingredients in a bowl, add Chickpeas and stir to coat. Spread in one layer on an oven pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, until crispy. Be careful not to let them burn.

These recipes provide you with several options for different tasting Chickpea snacks depending on your personal preferences and those of your guests. Roasted Chickpeas lend themselves to a variety of seasoning combinations. We at Lukewarm Legumes will be experimenting with different flavoring blends for this snack in our Test Kitchens and will be posting our findings right here, so stay tuned.