Crunchy Chickpeas

WARNING: These are highly addictive! Eat like you would nuts, chips, pretzels, etc. In order to make this snack budget-friendly and to control sodium intake, this recipe calls for dried chickpeas. You could use canned, but you would have to adjust seasoning and cooking time accordingly. Feel free to vary flavours. Prep time does not include overnight soaking.

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 4 cups

Ingredients

• 350  g dried garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas)
• 3 -5  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  teaspoon  black cumin seeds (aka nigelle)
• 1  teaspoon whole cumin seed
• 1  teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1  teaspoon mustard powder
• 1  teaspoon paprika
• 3  tablespoons lemon juice
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
•  crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
•  sea salt, to taste
•  crushed black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Soak beans overnight. Drain.
2. Place chickpeas in pressure cooker* and fill with water until water level is approximately 1-inch above beans. Cook for 30 minutes after the pressure cooker auto-cleaves. Drain well.
3. While beans are cooking, slightly crush cumin seeds (optional but recommended), mix with garlic, cardamom mustard powder, paprika, lemon juice, olive oil, and red pepper flakes (if using).
4. If you have a good quality salad spinner, gently dry the cooked chick peas. Otherwise, pat dry with a clean towel.
5. Preheat oven to 325°F.
6. Line two baking sheets with aluminium foil (optional but recommended); arrange chickpeas in a single layer. If desired, remove loose skins. Brush with seasoning mix.
7. Put in oven and, every 10 minutes, shake the pan and alternate the two baking sheets from top and bottom racks, for a total of 40 minutes cooking time. The chickpeas will become crunchier as they cool.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight container.
9. *NOTE: If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can cook them in a regular pot, but the cooking time will be much longer.