Chickpea Poppers Recipes

SPICY CHICKPEA POPPERS

Steps:

• Garlic confit sauce:
• Gently smash the garlic cloves so they are cracked but not completely broken. Peel off the skins.
• In a small saucepan, combine the garlic cloves, bay leaves, and oil. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is evenly golden brown on all sides, about 12 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and transfer the rest of the mixture to a blender (or use an immersion blender). Add the fish sauce and pepper. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
• DO AHEAD: Keep in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or 2 months in the freezer. Thaw and/or stir before use.
• Spice mix and crispy chickpeas:
• Even though some of the spices are already ground, we will process them a second time to get a finer powder that will stick well to the chickpeas. In a spice grinder, grind the spice mix ingredients to a fine powder. Set aside.
• In a deep frying pan or Dutch oven, pour enough oil to reach a depth of 2 inches (5 cm). Heat over medium-high until the oil bubbles up immediately around an inserted wooden chopstick.
• Meanwhile in a large bowl, toss the chickpeas with the buttermilk and the 1 tablespoon of flour until they are evenly coated in this light batter. In a separate large bowl, mix the remaining cup (31 g) flour, the garlic powder, baking soda, white pepper, and salt. Add the coated chickpeas to the flour mixture and toss until you have a slightly wet but crumbly mixture. It may look like the chickpeas are kind of sticking together, but it's okay.
• In a large bowl, mix the garlic with 2 teaspoons of the Garlic Confit Sauce (save the rest for another day). Set aside.
• Now, in several small batches as needed, add the breaded chickpeas to the hot oil and start breaking them apart with a chopstick. It's okay if they are in small clumps of 2 to 4 chickpeas. Fry for a couple of minutes, until the chickpeas are golden brown all around. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the bowl with the garlic sauce and repeat to fry the rest of the chickpeas.
• Add the basil leaves to the frying oil and immediately cover the pot with a lid, leaving a small slit for the steam to escape. When the popping sound has subsided, remove the lid and fry the basil until crispy. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the bowl with the chickpeas.
• Toss the chickpeas to coat them evenly with the garlic mixture, then add the spice mixture and toss until evenly coated. Season with more salt if needed. Serve immediately.

CHICKPEA POPPERS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Drain the chickpeas in a large colander to get rid of as much moisture as possible, 15 minutes. If using canned, rinse first then drain.
• Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl, coating the chickpeas well.
• Arrange the seasoned chickpeas in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet.
• Bake 15 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven; mix gently so the chickpeas cook evenly. Return to oven and bake 15 minutes more.
• Cool 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the additional red chili powder if you like.
• TO PREPARE YOUR OWN COOKED CHICKPEAS:
• Singla says soaking the chickpeas first isn't necessary. They will cook up just as soft as if they were presoaked. Don't have a slow cooker? Use a heavy pot, such as a Dutch oven, reduce the amount of water by 1/2 to 1 cup, use a very low flame and keep a careful eye that the chickpeas don't burn.
• Pick over and rinse 3 cups (about 18 ounces) whole, dried chickpeas.
• Place in a 3 1/2-quart capacity slow cooker with 5 cups water.
• Cook on high 4 hours.
• Rinse the beans with cold water to stop the cooking process; drain excess liquid.
• Store in the refrigerator up to 1 week or the freezer up to 3 months. Makes 7 cups.

HOT AND SPICY CHICKPEA POPPERS

Steps:

• Combine all popper ingredients and knead together until fully combined. (the mixture will be slightly tacky) Shape into walnut-sized balls and flatten slightly between palms of hands.
• Combine 1/2 cup flour with 2 tablespoons sesame seeds. Dredge the poppers in this mixture, pressing slightly so that sesame seeds adhere.
• Shallow-fry in skillet, 2 minutes per side, turning over and frying other side when golden. Allow to cool a few minutes before serving alone, or with your favourite salsa.