A Slice of Science: Crispy Chickpeas

I’m starting a new series called A Slice of Science, to teach you guys the science behind foods. When you know the science, you can manipulate ingredients so you can cook more easily without recipes, your brain will start joining the dots between ingredients and you can put together all sorts of meals just with what you have in the fridge!

Now, let’s talk crispy chickpeas… What’s the science to getting them EXTRA crispy? Predominantly, we’re trying to remove as much moisture from the chickpeas as possible - the more water there is inside the chickpea, the softer it will be; the less water, the crispier they are. Here’s what you need to do to minimise moisture and maximise flavour:

Moisture in the centre: microwaving the chickpeas before roasting them evaporates the moisture buried underneath the skin. Microwave them to remove this (more info below).
Spices: never roast chickpeas in spices. They burn, go bitter and add an unpleasant texture. Roast in oil first and coat in the spices after, once cooked.

Roasting: try and make sure your chickpeas don’t reach the edges of the tray you’re roasting in as these will cook faster and will become crispy faster than the others.

Method
1. Rinse the chickpeas clean. Transfer on to a tea towel and roll/massage/pat them dry. When you unwrap the tea towel, loads of the skins should have fallen loose.
2. Place them all on a flat plate in a single layer: microwave them for 10 minutes until they start to split and dry out a little. They should look noticeably drier when they’ve come out of the microwave, with any extra skins peeling off like little jackets.
3. Transfer to a baking sheet in a single layer, drizzle some olive oil over the top and roast for 25 minutes at 180°C. Take them out, give them a stir and try one. Check whether they are crispy enough for your liking and if not, roast for a further 5 minutes until done. Note that they will harden slightly as they cool.
4. Once all crisped up, transfer them into a bowl, coat in spices and mix well.

5. Add the chickpeas to salads, on top of pastas or eat as a snack!

Spices used here: 1.5 tsp hot smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, pinch of salt.

Other options: 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, pinch of rock salt