Roasted Crunchy Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans


Roasted Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans: Crunchy snacks
 
This recipe has been lying in the draft section since the end of May. Our unexpected trip to Kolkata made me forget all about it. While reading through what I had typed in May, I realized exactly how susceptible to change life is. There I was making plans for long dreamy summer days while life had something else planned. The sudden loss of a dear one jolted us back to reality. But again, life is funny in so many ways. We were mourning the loss of my father-in-law yet we brought back some beautiful memories. The 6 year old (yeah he turned 6 last Sunday) bonded with his cousins all over again, I met with my family and friends, sampled all the street food and Kolkata style Biryani that I have been craving for and brought back half a suitcase full of food props.  
The husband came back after 3 weeks while the 6 yo and I flew back with my parents (their trip had already been planned few months back) after 5 weeks.
Anyways, coming back to the present – we love munching on this crunchy snack along with our evening cuppa of tea! Now that my parents are here, I bask in the luxury of being pampered with many cups of tea during the day! I just make my morning cup as they wake up after I do. I know that these days are short-lived (they leave in a month’s time) but I am going to make the most of it while I can!
29th May 2015:
Summer vacations are on! Days will be filled with outdoor play, pool-time and more play! Which means I have a growing boy who’s hungry every hour or so! Hence I need to have a constant supply of snacks! Few months back I had bought a box of almond samplers from Wholefoods. I saved the box, and filled each compartment with nuts and dates. I leave that out along with a big bottle of water. I cut up some apples in the morning and put it in a Ziploc bag (so that it stays fresh) along with a bag of berries (he loves blueberries and strawberries) and have it ready in the fridge. Bananas, cheese-sticks and cereal bars are great on-the-go snack ideas. But every now and then the 5.5 year old wants something new! 
As I prefer giving him more fresh fruits, nuts and homemade stuff than store-bought and processed, I am always looking for ideas. These are the times when the instant (the one-minute/two-minutes) cake or cookies in a mug come super handy! 
An active boy also needs a Mommy who can keep up! And with all the activities going on, I need my snack too! Many a times I find it easier to grab a cookie when I cannot find my bag of almonds and dates. Since I am allergic to most nuts, I can hardly ever find a suitable cereal bar! Then I found this recipe!

Roasted Crunchy Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans

 

Ingredients:
  • Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans – 2 Cups, cooked (you can use canned as well)
  • Oil – 2 tbsp (I used canola oil)
  • Cumin Powder – 1 tsp
  • Smoked Paprika – 1/2 tsp (Use chili powder or cayenne pepper if you prefer heat)
  • Chaat Masala – 1 tsp
  • Salt to taste
Preheat oven to 400 F.
In a bowl toss the cooked chickpeas along with oil, salt and the spices. Feel free to use spices of your own choice. In a cookie sheet spread out the spice & oil coated garbanzo bean/chickpeas and bake until crisp for about 30 to 40 minutes or so. at the half way mark give the tray a shake. Check once after 30 minutes and then add on oven time accordingly but not more than few minutes at a time.
Cool down the beans completely and store in an airtight container.

Serve at room temperature with a squeeze of lime if you prefer.

Here’s another version from my friend’s blog – Chana Jor Garam

  

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