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
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.
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.
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!
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.
I’ll try it out this weekend. Looks like the perfect vegan appetizer.
Thank you!
Thank you everyone. The dipping sauce we did was a simple vegan mayo with chile powder and garlic.
These look great! What is the dipping sauce, please?
These are slammin! Just made them tonite and we loved them! Can’t wait to experiment w/ different herbs and spices. Thanks for sharing!
Yay! This is the perfect treat for a job well done on a hard exam. I’m excited to make it!
This sounds so delicious , now I just need to go get chickpea flour.
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!
Candace, yes chickpeas are very good for you. They are a source of protein and calcium!
Thanks Mia and Barb!
These look fun AND delicious! I’ll have to try them the next time I’m making an appetizer.
Look really good! Is “chickpea” good for you?
I wrote this one down! Can’t wait to try it!