There’s a Mexican joint Michele and I go to once in a while,
that serves a complimentary bowl of spicy, fried chickpeas when you sit down to
eat. In the restaurant biz they call this a “loss leader.”
That’s where you give away something cheap to help sell
something expensive, and by something expensive, I mean handcrafted margaritas
and artisan beers…sold to people like me, who, for some strange reason, are suddenly
thirsty.
While I’m hip to the true motive, it’s still a very nice
touch, and a periodic reminder of what a great, highly additive snack this is. As
in, only make single batches at a time, because you will eat everything you
make.
No matter what you come up with, it will be significantly
better than any of those salty snacks from the supermarket. I hope you give
these easy, oven-fried chickpeas a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4 snack-sized portions Crunchy Spiced
Chickpeas:
1 cup dry chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans, soaked for 24 hours
2 tbsp olive oil
season to taste with salt, freshly ground black pepper,
cumin, paprika, and cayenne, OR literally any spices you like
- Bake at 400 F. for about an hour, tossing occasionally,
until browned and crunchy/crispy.