Chickpea Poppers

• cooked chickpeas (see below) or (12 ounce) cans chickpeas↗2 cups
• coarse sea salt↗2 teaspoons
• chat masala (Chaat masala or garam masala or sambhar masala may be used)↗1 tablespoon
• olive oil↗2 tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1 teaspoon paprika, plus more for sprinkling↗1 teaspoon

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   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.

2. 2

   Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl, coating the chickpeas well.

3. 3

   Arrange the seasoned chickpeas in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet.

4. 4

   Bake 15 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven; mix gently so the chickpeas cook evenly. Return to oven and bake 15 minutes more.

5. 5

   Cool 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the additional red chili powder if you like.

6. 6

   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.

7. 7

   Pick over and rinse 3 cups (about 18 ounces) whole, dried chickpeas.

8. 8

   Place in a 3 1/2-quart capacity slow cooker with 5 cups water.

9. 9

   Cook on high 4 hours.

10. 10

    Rinse the beans with cold water to stop the cooking process; drain excess liquid.

11. 11

    Store in the refrigerator up to 1 week or the freezer up to 3 months. Makes 7 cups.