Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

I’m a latecomer to the roasted chickpea party! They took the blog world by storm a while back and I foolishly hesitated to make them. While everyone around me was gushing about how good they were I ignored their claims, even though I am a chickpea lover through and through.

Now it’s my turn to rave about these nutty, little, golden nuggets of joy! Roasting gives them a different texture then cooking them in other ways. They become starchier, kind of crunchy and depending on what spices and herbs you coat them with they can be sweet, savory, spicy hot or a combination of all three.

I seasoned these with chile powder, cumin, cinnamon and cayenne with plenty of salt and pepper. They were a little bit smoky, with a kick from the cayenne and a hint of sweetness from the cinnamon. I ate them warm and cold right from the refrigerator. Indeed they are as delicious and addicting as everyone claimed and are also excellent added to salads.

I found that a precise recipe isn’t really needed, they are so versatile and mild they take well to almost any spices or herbs you want to use. I’ve seen recipes with sugar and super spicy versions served with a squeeze of lime. Simply roasting them with salt and pepper is enough to produce good results; it’s all about the technique.

Just promise me you won’t wait too long to make them and deprive yourself the way I did!