When it comes to chickpeas, you could say I have some history. A few years back when working in the kitchen at Camp Ballibay, we made oodles of hummus using freshly cooked chickpeas. The campers couldn’t get enough hummus. By the end of the summer, we had transformed our hummus celebration into a wacky hummus song about the lowly chickpea and a You Tube video. After all, we said, hummus is yummus!
And did I mention that chickpeas are oh so good for you? Chickpeas are a great source of folic acid, fiber and necessary minerals such as zinc, iron and magnesium. This wonderful protein source is low on the glycemic index, so its great for people with blood sugar issues.
Super yummy roasted chickpeas
Today, while at a daylong conference at the Mount Kisco Child Care Center, we were treated to a delicious lunch that included roasted chick peas. They were so delicious, I had more during a mid-afternoon break as a savory snack.They were so delicious, I had to learn more about these lovely chickpeas so I could make them at home.
Later in the day, I went into the kitchen to ask the chefs the secret of their chickpea wizardry.They said, “oh a little of this and a dash of that”. Well rinsed and drained chickpeas were tossed in cumin, sea salt, olive oil and some onion powder. Then they were spread out on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper and roasted in a high heat oven until they had some crunch but were not totally dried out.
Those chickpeas made a lasting impression. When I got home this afternoon, I did a Google search on “roasted chickpeas” and discovered that there are many many ways to flavor these yummy beans for roasting. Here are a number of ideas:
- If you like, you can make them sweet: add a bit of maple syrup, honey or agave before roasting.
- Want them spicy? Toss them with your favorite hot sauce.
- Consider these seasons: Black Pepper, Rosemary, Smoked Paprika, Oregano, Curry Powder, Chili Powder, Chinese 5 Spice, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Ground Ginger, Ground Mustard, Lemon zest, Cayenne, etc….
- The only rule here is don’t over think it! Simply have fun and create unique flavor combinations.
Once you’ve decided on your flavoring, here’s how to to cook them
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Toss chickpeas with spice, salt and a small amount of oil. Put them on a parchment covered baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for about 30-40 minutes until golden brown and crunchy. Toss them around every 10 minutes. Let them cool completely before serving. They get much more crunchy after they cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Thanks to the inspiration from the chefs at Mount Kisco Child Care Center today, I know I’ll be playing with many versions of roasted chickpeas in the weeks to come.
Hope you enjoy this little music video that I helped create about hummus, way back in the summer of 2010.
