Garbanzos, Gangnam style!

There’s nothing fishy about garbanzos!

Fad food

Hey…Hey… Foxy Lady.  You gotta try this healthy recipe! Garbanzo beans, AKA chick peas, are the talk of Pinterest right now… hot hot… hot hot hot. Folks are roasting them whole by the bushel and popping them down as a handy snack.

The bland little beans belong to the legume clan. They’re also the main ingredient of hummus, which is galloping out of more than one refrigerated case at the grocery store these days, in its many guises.

Gluten-free nutrition

What’s all the fuss? People are looking for gluten-free fiber with a burst of nutrition. Garbanzos fill the bill. One cup gives you half the fiber you need in a day, in a single serving. It also delivers 15 grams of protein and 85% of the daily manganese you need, as well as plenty of other minerals.

Manganese is special. We don’t need much of it, but this useful mineral is great for our health. Manganese battles free radicals to reduce risk of  heart disease and cancer. It helps make collagen to speed wound healing and oil achy joints. It partners with iron in the blood  to help prevent anemia. And last but not least, manganese works with calcium for strong bones that resist breaking.

Flavoring

Toasted chick peas can be spiced up any way you like. But I thought we would gallop along to the rap tune from PSY and go with some Korean spices for a change. Koreans love soy sauce, soybean paste and red pepper paste. These sauces are enjoyed with onions, garlic, scallions, ginger, sesame oil, and crushed sesame. It’s no surprise, after having trotted along to Oppa Gangnam Style myself, that powdered red pepper is the most popular spice in Korea!

I’ve tried roasting chick peas before,  mildly seasoned  two different ways. Really, they were a bust. That’s why I say go all out with the seasoning on chickpeas. Or don’t bother with them at all.

Also, be very careful with the timing. A second too long and they taste like dust. Or bunny pellets. Not good.

PSY’s  roasted garbanzo beans

• 2 cups canned chickpeas (1 15-oz tin)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari if you eat gluten-free)
• 1 teaspoon red chili paste (or more if you like things nice and hot)
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 2 cloves chopped garlic

I took the dresses off this batch, but it isn’t necessary

1. Preheat the oven to 375̊ F. Drain the chickpeas in a colander and rinse well. Put them on a towel to dry. Some recipes say to take the transparent coverings off the beans. I’ve done this in the past, but this  time I left them on and the result was better. Put the beans in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients. Toss until the beans are coated.
2. Spread them out in a pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Toss the pan every 10 or 15 minutes. Don’t let the beans blacken. Watch carefully the last 10 minutes. They’re done when they’re dryish, a little rubbery in the mouth, not too crunchy! Turn the oven off and let the beans cool in the hot oven. This dries them further, without turning them to sawdust.
3. When they’re completely cool, store in an airtight container for up to a week.

For a serving of 1/2 cup: Calories (kcal) 180.3, Fat (g) 4.7 including 0.6 g saturated fat, Carbohydrate (g) 28.7 including 5.6 g fibre, Protein (g) 6.5, Sodium (mg) 585.1, Potassium (mg) 248.0, Calcium (mg) 47.5, Vitamin A (RAE) 5.0, Vitamin C (mg) 6.5, Folate (DFE) 86.0.

Grown-ups would probably like this tasty treat. But how popular are they with the shorter set? I called in my trusty taste tester to find out.

“Awesome. Oppa gangham style!”

You don’t taste the heat from just 1 teaspoon red chili paste. You feel only the slightest nip. Most of the flavor comes from the soy sauce and ginger. If you’re making these for PSY, though, and not the kids, you might like to shake a little cayenne into the mix.

Related

Behind Mr. Beans’ back door For a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly lurking inside beans.