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Chickpea Fries

Ok, so in my last post I was talking about the warm Spring weather and how it was time to eat lots of salads. A few days later and it’s cold and windy outside. That’s March for you – unpredictable.

So now that it feels too cold to eat salad, I’ve been cooking chilis and stews and craving favorite comfort foods. One favorite I have been thinking about is chickpea fries. I first had them at Peacefood Cafe in NYC. In fact, I wrote about them in my review of Peacefood Cafe 2 years ago. I wrote then “The famous chickpea fries got their reputation for a reason. They are large, crispy, spicy and addictive. They come with a creamy house dipping sauce. This is definitely one of those appetizers where you start negotiations over who gets the last one.”

Chickpea Fries were definitely on my to-do list of favorite appetizers I had to make for myself and I did. They are incredibly fast and easy to make. It’s just like making Polenta Fries except I pan-fried these instead of baking them. My Chickpea Fries are large, crispy, spicy and addictive. I served them with a creamy dipping sauce. And I’ll let you guess who got the last one. Enjoy!

Chickpea Fries

Ingredients
2 cups water
1 cup chickpea flour
2 Tbs. safflower oil, divided
1 tsp. Kosher salt
½ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Oil or cooking spray for pan

Directions


Bring the water to a boil in a medium sized saucepan. Add the chickpea flour slowly and stir until smooth. Add 1 Tbs. oil and spices and mix for another minute or two until it is thickened. Remove from the heat. Oil a small baking dish or casserole pan. Spread the chickpea batter into the pan evenly, smoothing the top with a spatula. Refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight until it is firm and solid.


Remove from the refrigerator. Loosen the edges with a butter knife or thin spatula. Turn the dish over while keeping one hand on the chickpea block and carefully let the block land on a cutting board. Cut the block into fries. You should get at least 16 fries depending on the size you cut them.

Heat the remaining oil in a skillet over medium high heat and cook the chickpea fries until they are browned and crispy on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel lined dish or cooling rack and sprinkle with Kosher salt. Serve with your favorite dip.

The “V” Word: Say it. Eat it. Live it.

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16 Responses to Chickpea Fries

  1. Jena March 9, 2014 at 2:02 pm #

    Hi Rhea! My best friend and I were just at Peacefood Cafe yeaterday and had the chickpea fries! Delish! So happy to have found your recipe! However, we didn’t see your recipe for the dipping sauce…do you have one? Thanks!

    • Rhea March 11, 2014 at 3:52 pm #

      Hi Jena, I usually make a quick ranch or spicy ranch dressing. Mix vegan mayo and sour cream with garlic powder, dill, black pepper and fresh chives. Add hot sauce if you want it spicy. Horseradish-Dill Mayo is also good – that just takes mayo, horseradish, dill, hot sauce, salt and pepper and scallions. Sometimes just mayo with Worcestershire sauce and garlic is a simple one.

  2. Anonymous July 25, 2013 at 9:31 am #

    I’ll try it out this weekend. Looks like the perfect vegan appetizer.

  3. Denise April 17, 2012 at 2:56 am #

    Thank you!

  4. Rhea Parsons April 12, 2012 at 10:07 am #

    Thank you everyone. The dipping sauce we did was a simple vegan mayo with chile powder and garlic.

  5. Denise April 12, 2012 at 6:47 am #

    These look great! What is the dipping sauce, please?

  6. Justine April 7, 2012 at 8:46 am #

    These are slammin! Just made them tonite and we loved them! Can’t wait to experiment w/ different herbs and spices. Thanks for sharing!

  7. Christina April 4, 2012 at 7:34 am #

    Yay! This is the perfect treat for a job well done on a hard exam. I’m excited to make it!

  8. Southern Purple Veggie March 29, 2012 at 3:10 pm #

    This sounds so delicious , now I just need to go get chickpea flour.

  9. KimraDiggs March 28, 2012 at 7:49 am #

    i didn’t do a very good job of keeping to look like fries like yours. mine look like patties. haha. hubby loves them though. it’s a little too spicy for me, so i’m gonna make another batch but without the cayenne pepper. i forgot i shouldnt be eating spicy things cuz i’m still nursing. it’s just the right amount of spicy for my hubby though. thanx! and to the commentor above, yes chickpeas are really healthy for you!

  10. Rhea Parsons March 28, 2012 at 4:38 am #

    Candace, yes chickpeas are very good for you. They are a source of protein and calcium!

    Thanks Mia and Barb!

  11. Barb@ThatWasVegan March 27, 2012 at 11:12 pm #

    These look fun AND delicious! I’ll have to try them the next time I’m making an appetizer.

  12. Candace ARG March 27, 2012 at 11:52 am #

    Look really good! Is “chickpea” good for you?

  13. Mia March 27, 2012 at 9:04 am #

    I wrote this one down! Can’t wait to try it!

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