Roasted Chickpeas

Name: Roasted chickpeas — cooked or canned chickpeas that are dried and roasted or baked until crunchy, eaten as a snack. Packaged versions come in many flavours, and the Indian version is called bhuna chana.

Description

Roasted chickpeas are an old street snack across the Middle East, India and the Mediterranean, where they are sold by vendors, hot and salted, in paper cones, or as leblebi in Turkey, and as a bar snack. They have been revived as a healthier crunchy snack in the West, as an alternative to crisps and nuts.

They can be made at home by draining canned chickpeas, drying them well, tossing with oil and spices, and roasting until crisp, which gives a crunchy, nutty, popcorn-like snack. They soften within a day or two in a sealed container.

Main nutrition value

Roasted chickpeas are a good source of plant protein and fibre, with iron and folate, and are more concentrated in calories per gram than boiled chickpeas, since the water is gone.

How best to be consumed

Roasted chickpeas are a crunchy snack, best eaten fresh.

1. Drain, rinse and dry canned chickpeas thoroughly, toss with a little oil, and roast at 200°C for 30 to 40 minutes until crisp.
2. Season with cumin, smoked paprika, chilli, garlic or cinnamon, after roasting for best flavour.
3. Sprinkle over salads, soups and yoghurt for crunch, in place of croutons.
4. Eat within a couple of days, or keep in a loosely covered container.
5. Check shop-bought versions for salt, oil and added sugar.

Overconsumption could cause…

Roasted chickpeas are healthy in sensible portions.

1. Bloating and gas from the fermentable carbohydrates (oligosaccharides) in pulses, particularly if you are not used to eating them, so build up gradually and drink water.
2. Allergic reactions in a small number of people allergic to legumes, and cross-reaction between chickpeas, lentils and peanuts in some.
3. High salt and oil in many flavoured packaged versions.
4. A hard, crunchy texture that may be a choking risk for young children, or may chip teeth.
5. Easy over-eating, since they are crunchy and moreish.

GroupsChickpeasSavoury SnacksLegume familyCooked

Related foodsBlack Chickpeas / Kala ChanaChickpea Flour / BesanChickpea PastaDesi ChickpeasHummusKabuli Chickpeas

Wikipedia — Chickpea, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chickpea