With their sweet and fresh taste and the vitamins and minerals they contain, chickpeas are a delicious vegetable, especially when fried. Fried chickpeas are not a healthy food. However, if processed with the right recipe, chickpeas can be both healthy and delicious. What's even better, this recipe is very easy to modify; just add your favorite sauces and additives.
Ingredients
Sauteed Beans
- Oil for frying
- 350 grams of chickpeas
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped or thinly sliced
- A pinch of red chili flakes
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (optional)
- 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
- A little sesame oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Flour Fried Beans
- The oil for frying
- 450 grams of chickpeas
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup beer
- Salt and pepper to taste
Step
Method 1 of 2: Saute Chickpeas
Step 1. Heat a wok or wok
Before frying, the wok or pan must be heated first. Usually, stir fry is cooked using a wok, but you can also use a wok. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat.
Don't add the oil right away. The key to sauteing is cooking in a hot skillet and cold oil. For a delicious stir-fry texture, add the stir-fry ingredients one by one in the order
Step 2. Add oil then garlic and red chili flakes
When the pan is hot, add the oil. Then, continue with the garlic and chili. The garlic will start to sizzle when it is added to the pan. Sauté the onions and peppers with a wooden spoon or spatula.
You can use any type of oil, but for a delicious stir-fry, use an oil with a high smoke point such as canola or peanut oil. Oils with low smoke points can become bitter when heated to high temperatures
Step 3. Clean and chop the chickpeas
This doesn't have to be done, but if you remove the fiber at the edges of the beans, they will be easier to eat. After that, cut the chickpeas along matchsticks so that they cook quickly.
A quick way to get rid of chickpea fibers is to lay them on a cutting board. Then, use a sharp knife to remove the fibers from the ends of the chickpeas. Repeat to remove the other side
Step 4. Add the chickpeas and onions to the pan
Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir-fry the chickpeas until they are well combined with the oil and spices. Make sure the chickpeas are thoroughly mixed with the oil and seasoning so they don't stick to each other.
You can also sauté by "throwing" the pan to mix the ingredients evenly. However, you need to be careful not to get splashed with hot oil. It's a good idea to use a wooden spoon for sautéing, unless you're an advanced cook
Step 5. Saute the chickpeas, stirring occasionally
When the vegetables are well mixed, cook the vegetables without stirring so that they change color slightly and become crunchy in texture.
After about 90 seconds, sauté the vegetables again and let them return for about 90 seconds. If the vegetables have changed color, turn off the heat and remove from heat
Step 6. You can add soy sauce to the chickpeas
Use soy sauce to add savory and sweet flavors to chickpeas. Mix the soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl while waiting for the chickpeas to cook. Pour in the soy sauce mixture when the chickpeas turn brown and mix well.
Stir fry the chickpeas so that the sugar in the soy sauce mixture doesn't burn. Once the chickpeas are well blended, stir the chickpeas occasionally to allow the sugar to caramelize for a solid chickpea flavor
Step 7. Add sesame oil, sauté again, and serve
Watch the chickpeas as they cook. The vegetables are done when the chickpeas have softened and the onions have browned. Then, add a little sesame oil, salt, and pepper (reduce salt if adding soy sauce). Stir again until smooth. The chickpeas are ready to eat.
- Don't add too much sesame oil because it's just to add flavor; just add 1 teaspoon only. Also, sesame oil is an oil with a low smoke point so it can't be overcooked over medium-high heat.
- The chickpeas are ready to eat right away, but if they are left in the pan (or in a serving dish), they will soften slightly as the cooking process continues.
Step 8. Add other ingredients for recipe variations
You've just learned how to cook a basic vegetable stir fry and this recipe is super easy to modify. If adding other ingredients, cook the ingredients in the order of doneness. Try to make variations of the recipe below.
- Meat (beef, chicken or seafood) – add before vegetables.
- Ginger (powdered or fresh) – add along with vegetables.
- Other vegetables (peppers, cooked carrots, peas, water chestnuts, etc.)
- Dry seasonings (parsley, garlic/garlic powder, etc.) – add together with garlic and red chili flakes.
Method 2 of 2: Flour Fried Chickpeas
Step 1. Make a coating dough with beer, flour, salt and pepper
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until the dough is smooth, but there are few lumps of flour. Use salt and pepper to taste. However, if you're not sure, you can add 2 teaspoons of salt and teaspoon of pepper.
Step 2. Heat the oil in a frying pan
Add oil to a deep frying pan. Make sure that there is enough oil to cover the chickpeas. This frying technique is known as "deep frying."
- Like the chickpea stir fry recipe above, use an oil with a high smoke point for frying the chickpeas, such as canola oil or peanut oil. Don't use olive oil.
- Make sure the oil temperature is at 177°C when frying the chickpeas. Use a cooking thermometer to measure the temperature. If you don't have one, just heat the oil over medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes.
Step 3. Clean the chickpea fibers
Just like in the recipe above, remove the fiber from the chickpeas before starting to cook. Place the chickpeas on a cutting board then use a sharp knife to remove the fibers from the ends of the beans.
If you want beans that resemble french fries, don't cut them into small pieces
Step 4. Dip the chickpeas into the coating mixture
Use your hands to dip the beans or use a fork to keep your hands from getting dirty. Then, remove the chickpeas from the coating and clean the chickpeas from any excess coating mixture. After that, put the chickpeas on a plate.
Step 5. Fry the chickpeas
In this step, make sure the oil is hot. You can check this by dripping a little bit of the coating mixture. Use a strainer or colander to dip the chickpeas into the oil. Let the chickpeas fry, stirring occasionally.
Gradually fry the chickpeas so they don't overcrowd in the pan and stick to each other
Step 6. Strain the fried chickpeas
The chickpeas are ready when they turn brown and become crunchy. Use a strainer or a sieve to strain the chickpeas. Let the remaining oil drip off the chickpeas then transfer the chickpeas to a cooling rack lined with paper towels.
If you don't have a cooling rack, you can place the chickpeas on a plate lined with paper towels, but this will reduce the crunch of the chickpeas
Step 7. Season the chickpeas and serve
When the chickpeas have cooled a bit, sprinkle a little salt and pepper for taste. Fried chickpeas are ready to eat!
If you want more spiced chickpeas, you can sprinkle dry spices to taste. Use Cajun seasoning or cayenne pepper for a bit of spice to the chickpeas
Tips
- For better results, use fresh and crunchy chickpeas. Frozen or canned chickpeas are not a good choice because the texture will affect the final result of fried chickpeas. Fresh chickpeas are also better and healthier than canned beans because they don't contain preservatives.
- If the chickpeas are a little too firm, you can blanch the chickpeas by soaking the chickpeas in boiling water for 1-2 minutes before cooking so that the beans become more tender.
- If you are blanching the chickpeas, rinse the chickpeas in cold water after soaking and then pat dry with paper towels before cooking. The cold water will stop the cooking process so the chickpeas don't overcook. Dry the chickpeas so they can be fried to perfection (the remaining water doesn't get mixed in with the oil when frying).
