Kitchen Lab: Crunchy Chickpeas

Kitchen Lab: A new column for dishes I fugazi'd on a whim that actually worked out!

For the first instalment of Kitchen Lab, let's talk about Crunchy Chickpeas :)

Also known as... Popcorn Chickpeas...

Also known as... Extra Roasted Chickpeas...

Also known as... You might have gas pains if you eat them all in one sitting lol

These are ridiculously easy to prepare and so, so tasty. I love their salty crunch -- almost like they were deep-fried, but they're not! We usually eat them as a side dish, or sprinkled on top of salads and taco bowls.

Aside from oven temp and a few timers, everything about this recipe is eyeballed to your liking. You can make them spicier, saltier, curried, sweet (honey garlic could be delicious) -- whatever you prefer! The key is to keep them baking for a decently long time.

Steps:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

2. Rinse and drain your canned chickpeas. (I typically make a batch using 1 large can, but you can make as many as you want.)

3. Dump them in a large bowl. Glug a nice amount vegetable oil over them (they shouldn't be swimming in oil), then add salt and cracked pepper. Mix.

4. Season to your liking.

I like using garlic powder and paprika (not smoked), and would even add ground cumin and onion powder. Mix again.

Or... You can skip the seasonings altogether and just douse the chickpeas in Frank's Red Hot. I KNOW. Sounds suuuper trashy. But it's delicious, I swear!

5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (Aluminum foil works too, you just have to keep checking that your chicks aren't getting stuck to it.) Tip out your bowl and spread the chickpeas out evenly.

6. Into the oven they go! Baking time really depends on how chewy, spongey, or crunchy you want the end result. Start by setting your timer for 20 minutes, at which point remove them from the oven and shake/move them around, then put them back in for another 15 minutes.

At this point, check them every 5-10 minutes until the texture is to your liking. We like them very crunchy, so they usually stay in the oven for up to an hour total.

The chickpeas will shrink as they bake. Some will look burst open. It's all good! Enjoy!

Let me know if you give these a whirl :) 

Image credit: Cooking Light