16 Jan Spicy Roasted Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)

These roasted chickpeas are crunchy and spicy. They can be eaten plain as a healthy snack, or added to a salad or rice bowl to give your meal a little zip!

From an energetic standpoint, garbanzo beans are cold and dry. The spices in this recipe warm them up and make them ideal for kapha or winter/rainy season. Pitta can eat in moderation or omit the cayenne and paprika; vata can eat in moderation (as they are a little dry).

Makes 2 cups

1 cup dry chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), soaked overnight
1 bay leaf
water
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
¾ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon of paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne
⅛ teaspoon turmeric

Cook the chickpeas: In a small pan, add the chickpeas and bayleaf. Add enough water to cover the chickpeas by 1 inch. Turn heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes (or until chickpeas are soft/easily squished between your thumb and index finger). Drain and return to the pan. Add the oil, chili powder, salt, paprika and turmeric and toss to coat evenly.

Preheat oven to 400⁰F.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange chickpeas in a single layer, then transfer to oven. Cook until golden and crispy (about 30 minutes), checking/turning after 20 minutes.

These are best served warm, but will keep for a few days in a zip lock bag (they will lose some of their crunch though).

Variation:
Add ¾ teaspoon sumac or za’atar and omit the turmeric for a middle eastern flavor.