Crispy fried chickpeas Totally helpful

These crispy roasted chickpeas will add crunch with plant-powered nutrition to your salads, bowls, pasta dishes and more. They’re one of the most versatile and useful vegan proteins for batch cooking, and they’re super easy to make!

Its first chapter Vegan week The title is simply, “Protein.”

Here’s what I have to say about the recipes in that chapter:

As a new vegetarian, I was quick to dismiss concerns about getting enough protein. In fact, I used to roll my eyes when asked the question that all vegans dread: “Where do you get your protein?”

Then I became a dietician. As I deepened my education and training, I was forced to reevaluate some of my previous assumptions about plant-based nutrition, including my blasé attitude toward protein sourcing.

Yes, vegans can get all the protein they need from plant-based foods. But it’s not necessarily easy to do, especially if you’re new to meatless cooking. Because of this, I’ve learned to make plant protein the backbone of my meals.

This chapter features homemade, daily vegan protein, made with my favorite high-protein plant-based foods: legumes, soy foods, and seitan. If you bookmark a chapter in a book, make this one.

I feel as strongly about these words now as I did when I wrote them years ago.

As a result, I’ve made more of an effort to share simple vegan proteins on my blog this year.

I think it’s time to share my favorite, crispy fried chickpeas.

What are fried chickpeas?

You probably know that chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans.

What are fried chickpeas? Why bother roasting them in the first place?

Roasted chickpeas are cooked chickpeas that are seasoned and roasted in the oven.

Why? Because roasting helps impart both flavor and an irresistible crunch.

If you shell chickpeas, or you cook dry chickpeas from scratch, you’ll have tender beans on your hands.

Depending on which brand of canned or dried chickpeas you use, chickpeas have a texture that is actually quite creamy.

Sometimes, I prefer chickpeas that are thick and creamy-textured; They make an especially great hummus.

The rest of the time, I crave crunch. Croutons can scratch that itch, but so can roasted chickpeas. And chickpeas have some unique health benefits.

Chickpea nutrition

Here’s a sampling of the nutrients you’ll get from a serving of chickpeas:

• Dietary fiberwhich contributes to satiety after a meal and is associated with digestive health.
• proteinAssociated with satiety, as well as maintenance of immune function and healthy muscle mass.
• iron, which is important for energy and immunity. A half-cup serving of cooked chickpeas contains about 10% of the RDA.
• folateWhich plays an important role in red blood cell production and healthy fetal development during pregnancy.
• zincA nutrient that is important for strong immune function.
• complex carbohydratesA source of energy and fuel for our busy lives.

To learn more about chickpea nutrition, as well as a roundup of my all-time favorite chickpea recipes, you can check out this post!

How to make crispy fried chickpeas

If you’re worried that roasting chickpeas will be a lot of work – a lot more work than opening a can – don’t be! They are actually very easy to make.

Step 1: Wash your chickpeas

I use canned beans at home. So when I say “drain and rinse,” I’m referring to the process I take every time I work with beans: open a can, drain the beans in a small colander, rinse under water.

If you want to cook your beans from scratch, you can drain your batch in a large colander, then proceed.

Step 2: Dry your chickpeas

This step is important! The drier your beans are, the easier they will coat them with the frying oil.

That oil greatly contributes to a crisp texture.

In this step, you’ll transfer the drained and rinsed chickpeas to a rimmed baking sheet. Use a tea towel, kitchen cloth or paper towel to dry – as dry as possible.

Make sure there is no liquid left on the baking sheet after drying the chickpeas. If you see some water on the sheet, clean it with your towel or cloth.

Step 3: Season the chickpeas

The recipe I am sharing today is for my standard fried chickpea dal.

No fuss or fuss: just crispy, slightly salty and peppery chickpeas that will add crunch (and joy) to your plate and bowl.

I like to use onion salt and garlic powder in my chickpeas. They add some depth of flavor but are just as easy to use as regular salt and pepper!

You can substitute a mixture of fine salt and onion powder for the onion salt, or you can just use fine salt. That’s what you got.

Also, you can take the recipe a step further and add other spices to the fried chickpeas.

• curry masala
• Nutritional Scream
• Cashew Parmesan Cheese
• Smoked paprika
• yellow
• Italian seasoning
• Rosemary
• pepper

Above are some of the spices and seasonings that you can try.

I recommend giving the crispy roasted chickpea base recipe a try, then gradually experiment with other additions. Find out what you like and keep trying new flavor varieties.

Step 4: Fry the chickpeas

Once you have seasoned the chickpeas well, now roast them: 25-35 minutes in a 400°F/200°C oven.

You will know the chickpeas are done when they are a deep golden brown and very crispy.

Stir the chickpeas once halfway through baking, just so they crisp up evenly.

Step 5: Store the chickpeas

Preserving chickpeas is pretty straightforward. They will keep in an airtight container (I usually use a mason jar) at room temperature for 3 days or in the fridge for 5 days.

Roasted chickpeas will retain their crunchy texture if you store them at room temperature. However, you can re-crisp them before serving.

Do this, transfer them to a baking sheet. Reheat them in a 300°F/150°C oven for about 15 minutes.

Trading tips and tricks

Basically, I think there are three tips that really help make fried chickpeas especially crispy.

Tip #1: Pat the chickpeas very dry

The more water you can remove from the chickpeas, the crispier they will be in the oven. Keep a heavy hand while pressing with your kitchen cloth or paper towel.

Tip #2: Just enough oil

The oil (I use avocado oil) will help the chickpeas take on that delightful crispy texture. extra Oil will have the effect of frying them and they can be greasy.

I find that about 1 1/2 tablespoons is perfect for a batch of crispy fried chickpeas.

Tip #3: Don’t line your baking sheet

I often line my baking sheets with foil or parchment to make cleaning easier and prevent sticking.

In the case of this recipe, however, a lined baking sheet will detract from the crispy texture.

I recommend using an unlined baking sheet here. A nonstick sheet is great for painless cleanup after cooking, but aluminum or steel will also work.

What should I do with my crispy fried chickpeas?

Oh, there are so many possibilities!

I have some recipes on this blog that specifically call for fried chickpeas. Here is a sample:

But the options don’t end there.

You can transfer your crisp little lemons to a storage container and snack on them a handful at a time.

You can also:

• Use crispy fried chickpeas to top a simple pasta dish
• Add them to any salad
• Use them in any recipe that calls for croutons (not that I don’t like croutons, but variety is good).
• Add a small handful to a warm bowl of soup
• Use them as a topping in delicious oatmeal

I’m sure there are many uses I’m forgetting—and maybe you can share one or two of yours in the comments—but this is a good starting point.

Regardless, I hope you find a lot to do with these crunchy bits.

Here is the recipe.

However, crispy fried chickpeas are an excellent ingredient for food preparation. Having a batch of them on hand can enhance and complete a few of your weekly meals, no matter what those foods are.

Really and truly, there’s nothing like a versatile, simple vegan protein.

I know this recipe is a little basic, but there’s something to be said for the basics—and I hope you like it.

xo