Canned chickpeas, tossed in a little oil with spices and sea-salt then roasted until crispy, make a delicious healthy snack.

Perfect for nibbling on, eat them just as they are – or take them out of the oven after 20 minutes and once they’ve cooled down, add them to a few tablespoons of yogurt that’s been whisked with chopped fresh mint, cilantro (coriander) and toasted cumin, for a lovely appetizer or snack.

Crispy Indian Spiced Chickpeas

CRISPY INDIAN SPICED CHICKPEAS

(Makes 2 1/2 – 3 cups)

Ingredients:

Two 15 oz /425g cans of chickpeas, drained and patted dry with paper towel

Two tablespoons of oil (avocado and grape seed are ideal for high temp cooking)

1 teaspoon of curry powder

1 teaspoon of smoked paprika

Optional pinch of cayenne (depending on how spicy your curry powder is)

1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

Action:

Pre-heat the oven to 400F (200C).

Toss everything together in a bowl. Tip the chickpeas into a large shallow roasting pan and bake them for 40 minutes until they’re crispy, stirring about every 10-15 minutes to ensure they crisp evenly.

Or, if you want to add them to the yogurt to eat as an appetizer –

Bake them for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, then remove from the oven to cool down.

Whisk together the following:

Oven Baked Chickpeas with Yogurt & Indian Spices

10 fl oz (570ml) of plain yoghurt, preferably full-fat

2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro/coriander

1 tablespoon of chopped fresh mint

¼ teaspoon of dry-roasted cumin seeds, ground

A pinch of cayenne

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Once the chickpeas have cooled down, combine them with the yogurt mixture and sprinkle with a little finely chopped cilantro/coriander and fresh mint to serve.

This yogurt recipe is a basic Indian ‘Raita’ and makes a delicious and refreshing snack on it’s own.

The yogurt should be made one or two hours ahead to allow the flavors to develop and will keep, covered in the fridge for a few days.

Any leftover crispy chickpeas will keep for a day or two in an airtight container at room temp.