Curry Roasted Garbanzo Beans

The Chick Pea is neither a chick, nor a pea…discuss. 

I have always been a big fan of the legume, specifically the Garbanzo Bean or “Chick Pea.”  Probably the tastiest Garbanzo Snack I have ever had was on a trip to the Finger Lakes in August, 2008 when we had Deep Fried Garbanzo Beans as an appetizer at the Red Dove Tavern in Geneva, New York.  Since in home frying is not my forte and something I try to not eat on a regular basis, I prefer roasting them.  You can experiment and find what works best for you.  I like to roast them long enough that they dry out a bit and are a little on the crunchy side.  They are quite tasty with a little chew still left to them as well.  They make a great treat as a mid afternoon snack at work or thrown on a salad in place of croutons or nuts. 

Curry Roasted Garbanzo Beans

1 15-ounce can Garbanzo Beans

1 T Olive Oil

1 t Hot Curry Powder (I use the Spice House blend)

Seasoned Salt to taste (I use the 4/S Special Seasoned Sea Salt from Penzey’s)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Drain canned Garbanzo Beans in a colander.  Rinse with cold water until foam is gone.  Shake excess water from beans and spread out on paper towels to dry.  When excess water is gone, return to dry colander.  Drizzle beans with Olive Oil and Curry Powder and shake to distribute oil and seasonings evenly.  Spread in single layer on rimmed baking sheet or stoneware pan.  Sprinkle with Seasoned Salt or plain salt to taste. 

I find that I get a crunchier and more even roast on stoneware than on a metal pan, but both will work.  Place in oven and roast in 10 minute increments, stirring or shaking pan after each 10 minutes.  I tend to roast them for around 40 minutes to get a crunchy, but not too dry consistency.  Remove from oven and cool on paper towels to absorb any excess oil.  You can add additional salt at this point if needed, but it sticks better if you salt before roasting. 

I have no idea how long these will keep. I store them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag on the counter.  They are always gone in a day or two for me!  I have made them with several different spice blends.  My other favorite is Smoked Hot Paprika in place of the Curry Powder.