Smoky Fried Chickpeas

By Aliwaks, posted 11 months ago

Photo: Sarah Shatz

Amanda & Merrill's Notes:

Smoky Fried Chickpeas by Aliwaks If you were to put out a bowl of these crunchy, smoky, spicy little nuggets at a cocktail party, it's likely they'd be gone in under five minutes. Aliwaks has taken an already brilliant idea (fried chickpeas with smoked paprika) and run with it. You also fry strips of lemon zest, fresh thyme leaves and later thinly sliced garlic to mix with the chickpeas, paprika and salt. This leads to an array of crispy little bursts of flavor, each more fragrant than the last. Do be careful while frying (use a splatter screen if you have one), and make sure the chickpeas are as dry as you can get them. It's worth a little experimenting to find a brand of chickpeas that spit less while frying but still stay tender in the middle. - A&M

I was making a sort of Spanish/Moroccan Moorish sort of dinner for friends one night, and was looking for something small and spicy and crunchy to serve with drinks I thought I had almonds, but had run out but I did have a can of chickpeas..and inspiration struck.

Serves enough for 4

2 large cans chickpeas
1 cup Olive Oil
1 tablespoon lemon zest, strips
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 coarse salt to taste
4 pieces garlic, sliced

Drain Chickpeas and set on paper towels over a colander to dry throughly (can be done 1 day in advance).
Heat oil in large pan (preferably cast iron) to 355 or until oil makes bubbles around 1 chickpea.
add lemon zest, thyme sprig, chickpeas in batches so pan doesn't crowd fry about 5 minutes until crunchy color & changes.
remove from oil, drain well over colander/sieve, add garlic, fry till golden.
Toss with smoked paprika & salt, add more if necessary..serve warm.

Comments (12)Add yours

J-Dizzle 2 months ago: I love chick peas, they are so versatile....I am going to make this on the weekend. Thanks for the healthy snack recipe! Cheers.
chez danisse 3 months ago: Mmm. Mmm. Going to stash this one away for later. Thanks.
gabrielaskitchen 7 months ago: Making these for my vegan buddies for superbowl! thanks!
BigChiefDogface 8 months ago: You could also smash the chick peas and fry them in little pancakes as appetizers. Serve with a dollop of thick rich yogurt. Thanks for the recipe! Nice...
deensiebat 8 months ago: made them, loved them!
friskier 8 months ago: A hit. Somehow turned out much lighter and better than what we had sampled at a pricey tapas place.
BonEllen 8 months ago: I made these just now with only chick peas, and tossed w/ paprika & kosher salt. AMAZING! Even the kids love them!
Aliwaks 8 months ago: Cheese, Good question, I've never let them sit too long. They tend to absorb alot of oil since they are quite soft. I suppose you could give them more of a deep fry than a pan fry and that may get them crunchier ( longer lasting) (strain and keep oil for later use , so as not to waste) and do all lemon thyme garlic etc in the last fry.. Another thing to try may be to dry them well then dust with chickpea flour or cornstarch, bit of a change, but the outer layer may retain crunch a bit longer since it has so little moisture.
cheese1227 8 months ago: I have served this at 3 dinner parties since it one the prize and I have not yet been disappointed. But what is the secret for keeping them extra crispy? Because of all the popping in the pan, I like to make them ahead of the guests arriving and while they are a 10 right out of the pan, they seem to loose their crunch quite quickly.
lastnightsdinner 10 months ago: Totally addictive - fabulous party fare!
Rohit Mitter 10 months ago: Had a chance to taste these and they are addictive! Great snack...
mariaraynal 10 months ago: I just tried these and they are fabulous! Great cocktail party fare. Be sure to invite others to join you, though, because otherwise you'll risk eating the whole bowl yourself...

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Smoky Fried Chickpeas

Amanda & Merrill's Notes:

Serves enough for 4

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Smoky Fried Chickpeas

Amanda & Merrill's Notes:

Serves enough for 4

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