Chickpeas to die for

The minute I read this recipe on Veggie Num Num's blog I knew I had to try them.

I love nibbling, I love salty, I love spicy, who doesn't? I could go through a bag of potato chips as fast as you can read up to here but I only allow myself to do so on rare occasions. So when I saw this healthy and flavorful alternative, I pulled out my mortar and went straight to work.

Grind up some spices (I followed the recipe because I happened to have everything required in my cupboard, but you can pretty much throw in any mix you like or have. Just keep a good balance between savory, sweet and spicy and you are set), turn your oven on and in less than an hour you will have a great snack to offer friends coming over for drinks or to munch in front of a movie. I used mine to spice up a recipe I will write about in my next post.

Ingredients

3 cups of chickpeas (canned or dried - I used chickpeas out of a carton)

2 tbs olive oil

1 1/2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp raw sugar

1-1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Preheat your oven at 180°C with a baking tray lined in aluminum foil in it.

Grind all your spices and the sugar and salt in a mortar. Toss the chickpeas in the olive oil and the spice mix, making sure it coats them well. Spread them evenly on the hot baking tray and put in oven, checking every 10 minutes or so and moving them around so they roast evenly. Leave in for about 40-50 minutes making sure they don't burn towards the end. Take out, let cool and store as you would nuts or chips.

I am sure they would liven up even the most boring salad or taste great with a sprinkle of lemon juice and fresh herbs, but they are perfect as they are.

They get crunchier as they cool off, but mine did not all turn out the same. Some were wonderfully crunchy, others softer although just as tasty. That is why Trudy stresses to toss them every so often and to let them cook long enough to brown without burning them. Next time I am sure they will be even better, if that is possible!