Recipe: Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas

 For a snack, salad topping, or a nutritious alternative to popcorn, you can't beat roasted chickpeas. Here's what you need:

• Cooked chickpeas, well drained on a colander. They should be as dry as possible.
• Extra Virgin olive oil.
• Good Salt 
• Black pepper, freshly ground.
• Fresh Lemon
• Garlic Powder
• Cumin powder
• Cayenne powder

The Process

For the cooked chickpeas, you can cook your own or use canned.

• For canned chickpeas, dump them in a colander and rinse well, tossing them around in the colander. You want to get that mucoid slime off of them. Grossed out? Good. Cook your own. 
• For cooked chickpeas, you will cook them less than you do for hummus. 
• If using an instant pot, cook unsoaked Chickpeas for 38 minutes on high pressure in salted water.
• On the stovetop, an overnight soak is recommended. Simmer slowly in salted water until tender but not mushy. It may take a while, depending on how long you soaked them.

Whether you use canned or cook your own, you'll want to drain them well on a colander over the sink until they're as dry as possible. Here is where cooking your own has an advantage: the hot chickpeas will help to evaporate their own water and they'll dry out much faster. They'll also taste fresher and be free of preservatives and slime. 

Put the drained chickpeas in a mixing bowl. Add about half a tablespoon of lemon and a tablespoon of oil per cup of cooked chickpeas and toss. Add a pinch or two of cumin per cup of peas, and the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper to taste and toss again. You can always correct for salt later, so err on the lighter side if you're not sure. I recommend you use your hands as much as possible. This is why.

Arrange the chickpeas in a single layer on a sheet pan, being careful not to crowd them. Don't get greedy here; its better to work in multiple batches than end up with soggy chickpeas. If you know you like it a little saltier, go ahead and sprinkle a little good salt now, or wait until the end.

Pop them in the center of a 400 to 425 degree oven* and stick around. Observe for color change. Once they begin to turn golden brown, safely take a pea out from the batch, blow on it to cool it quickly and eat it as soon as you can. As you chew on it, assess what is happening: is it becoming crunchy or still soggy?

• If it is becoming crunchy and it is pale golden brown, you're on the right track. Carry on at current temperature setting until a true golden brown develops. It should be agreeably crunchy but not dessicated.
• If it is becoming brown on the outside and not becoming crunchy at all on the inside, the oven is browning them faster than it can evaporate them. Back off the heat about 25 or even 50 degrees (as low as 350f produces crunchy peas), then repeat the steps above.
• Consequently, starting the roast at 350 to 375 to dehydrate the the peas without risk of scorching is a more foolproof method. It will result in ludicrously crunchy chickpeas, but the texture will be drier; too dry for my taste, though they will have a longer shelf life that way. 

Once you've achieved the desired crispness to crust ratio, simply remove from the oven and let cool on the countertop. They will crisp up further as they cool, provided they are in a dry environment (don't leave them outside here in Miami). At this point, you can, if you so desire, add additional flavorings. My two favorite variations:

1. Coat lightly in a little more olive oil that was infused with fresh garlic and chili flakes, add minced parsley and toss.
2. Coat lightly in oil, and toss with Badia Chili Lime powder. WARNING: This version, at a party, may cause a feeding frenzy, possibly riots. 

Here's some other ideas. Remember, this is to be done after they're roasted:

• Toss in a light coat buffallo sauce.
• Coat lightly in oil and sprinkle with dry ranch seasoning packet.
• Coat in oil and toss with za'atar and, if you like it tart, a little powdered lemon. Fresh lemon juice is fine, but it will reduce the crispness (this is why we add it before roasting and not after). Both za'atar and powdered lemon can be found in Arabic, Lebanese, or Mediterranean type markets.
• Coat lightly in melted butter or ghee, and toss with garam masala, cilantro, and either amchur (dried green mango powder), or lime juice. Lime juice will reduce crispness, while amchur will add sourness without affecting the texture, although its an acquired taste. These all can be found in Indian and Pakistani groceries.

Notes :

*Why the range in temperature? The individual oven, heat source (propane vs electric), ambient moisture, volume of food, and a host of other factors affect cooking. This is why I advocate a reason- based recipe rather than a formula. Also, convection ovens often default to 25 degrees less than the setting. If you own a convection oven, still set it to 400 to 425 to begin.