Berber Spice Roasted Chickpeas Recipes

BERBERE-SPICED ROASTED CARROTS, CHICKPEAS AND ONIONS

Steps:

• For the carrots and onions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F with a rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack. To cut the carrots, hold a carrot at a 45-degree angle on your cutting board and slice a 1-inch chunk off, rotate the carrot a quarter turn and slice off another chunk. Continue to the end of the carrot and cut all of the carrots this way. (This is a "roll" or "oblique cut," a good technique for cutting long vegetables to give lots of surface area for browning.) Toss the carrots in a large bowl with the onion, chickpeas, olive oil, berbere and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread on the preheated baking sheet and roast until the vegetables are tender and nicely caramelized, about 25 minutes.
• For the awaze sauce: While the carrots and onions roast, place the berbere in a small bowl. Stir in the red wine, honey and 1 teaspoon salt. The sauce should be thick but still able to drizzle. (This makes more awaze than you'll need for the recipe, but it keeps for up to a week in the fridge in an airtight container).
• Mound the carrots and onions on a serving platter and drizzle with a few tablespoons of awaze sauce. Serve warm.
• Combine all the spices in a small skillet. Toast over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool completely. This spice blend will keep, tightly sealed, in your pantry for several months. For longer storage, keep in the freezer. Makes about 1/2 cup.

BERBER SPICE ROASTED CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• If using Dried Chickpeas: Put rinsed chickpeas in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Let sit overnight or at least eight hours. (Note: I use a crock pot to cook the beans overnight.).
• Drain, rinse and add water to cover by 2 inches. Add salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a good simmer and allow to cook for about 45 minutes or until tender. They should be cooked through but not mushy.
• Drain well and lay on a baking sheet or a kitchen towel to dry.
• Canned Chickpeas: Rinse well and set aside to dry.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place chickpeas on the baking sheet and drizzle with oil and the berber spice mix. Shake pan to roll chickpeas to distribute the oil and spices. The beans should be all in an even single layer.
• Bake for about 30 minutes, shaking pan every 10 minutes or so to move the chickpeas around. When done, the garbanzo beans should be slightly crunchy on the outside but still soft inside.