Crispy Roasted Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) with Moroccan Spices

If you were hanging around this blog during November, you may recall me raving about the Moroccan Spice Mix recipe I found in Fine Cooking Magazine. I tried the mixture on butternut squash, then on carrots, absolutely loved it, and promised more Moroccan spice roasted veggies to come. Recently when I saw a recipe for crispy roasted chickpeas in The South Beach Diet Cookbook my tastebuds started imagining how great those crispy chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) would taste with just a hint of that Moroccan spice mix, and that's how this recipe was born.

I've been a card-carrying member of the Garbanzo Bean Fan Club for quite a while now, but this way of eating them, roasted at a high temperature until they're fairly dry and crispy, was completely new to me. What a fantastic snack food this is, great to nibble on for a mid-afternoon break, or perfect to serve with drinks. I found out after I started writing this post that roasted, spiced chickpeas are often eaten in Turkey as a snack called Leblebi. Of course garbanzo beans are nutritious enough to be classed as one of The World's Healthiest Foods, and they're an example of the type of low-glycemic foods that the South Beach Diet recommends eating plenty of. Garbanzos are an often-used ingredient in Italian, Indian, Asian, and Mediterranean cooking, and they're favored by vegetarians since they have one of the highest protein levels of all plants. I've written a few times about chickpeas for Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Lia of Swirling Notions, but I was sure the WHB readers would find the idea of roasted chickpeas interesting, so I'm entering it for WHB #121. Here are the rules for Weekend Herb Blogging and where to send your entry if you'd like to participate. Now on to how I made this fabulous roasted chickpea snack, and lots more chickpea ideas from other bloggers too. (By the way, I'm already thinking of variations of this recipe such as chickpeas roasted with Tamari or garlic, so stay tuned.)

Crispy Roasted Chickpeas with Moroccan Spices
(Inspired by a recipe from The South Beach Diet Cookbook and the Moroccan Spice Mix from Fine Cooking Magazine.)

1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 T olive oil
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. Moroccan Spice Mix
salt to taste (I used about 1/4 tsp. kosher salt)

Spice Mix:
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. chile powder (I used Ancho chile powder from Penzeys)
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
(recipe called for a pinch ground cloves, which I did not have.)

Preheat oven to 350 F. (I was making this in my favorite Oster Toaster Oven, If you're using a regular oven, I'd double the recipe and use a large cookie sheet.)

Drain garbanzo beans into a colander and rinse well with cold water until no more foam appears. Let beans drain for 5-10 minutes, then pat dry with a cloth of paper towel if they still look wet.

While beans drain, make spice mix. (This is great on many veggies, so make the full amount and store in a glass jar.)

When beans are well drained and dried, toss with olive oil, spice mix, and salt. Arrange in single layer on baking sheet. Roast 40-50 minutes, or until they are slightly browned and make a rattling sound when you shake the baking sheet. (I roasted these for 50 minutes, but next time I would take them out a tiny bit sooner.) Serve warm or let cool.

(I think there are a lot of different spice mixtures that would taste good on chickpeas roasted like this. If anyone has a variation that turns out to be tasty, please leave the link in the comments.)

South Beach Suggestions:

This would make a flavorful, high-protein snack for any phase of the South Beach Diet. I also think the roasted chickpeas would taste great sprinkled on a salad, or mixed with nuts.

More Garbanzo Bean Recipes from Kalyn's Kitchen:
Garbanzo and White Bean Soup with Lamb and Rosemary
Spinach Salad with Marinated Garbanzo Beans and Feta Cheese
Tomato and Garbanzo Salad
Garbanzo Salad with Olives and Herbs
Garbanzo, Tomato, and Cilantro Salad with Lime and Chile Dressing
Chicken Soup with Garbanzos and Oregano
Carrot, Parsley, and Garbanzo Salad with Cumin
Garbanzo and Tuna Salad with Parsley and Red Pepper
Penne with Sausage, Garbanzo Beans, and Broccoli Rabe
Slow Roasted Tomato Hummus

Garbanzo Recipe Links from BlogHer:
In 2006 I wrote about garbanzo recipes in Chicks with Peas

More Garbanzo Goodness from Other Bloggers:
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly, check ingredients.)
Accidental Chickpea, Ginger, and Coriander Soup from Pinch My Salt
Cooking Dried Chickpeas and Spicy Hummus from Gluten-Free Bay
Hummus from Simply Recipes
Pasta with Fresh Garbanzo Beans, Olives, and Bacon from A Veggie Venture
Chickpea and Cabbage Curry from My Diverse Kitchen
Gemelli with Garbanzos from What Did You Eat
Chickpea Salad with Roasted Pepper Puree from Sunday Nite Dinner
Garbanzo Garlic Soup from Vanilla Garlic
Crockpot Eggplant and Tomato Stew with Garbanzo Beans from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
Pork and Chickpea Stew from Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska

Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There's a great way to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
It's easy to find out who's hosting Weekend Herb Blogging this week.
There are actual rules for Weekend Herb Blogging.
Here is another place where I write more about food.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes
Diabetes Friendly Recipes Weekend Herb Blogging