Chickpea Fries!!

Okay, okay. The photo is not lovely, but I was soooo hungry last night that I didn't feel like prettying up a plate when all I could think about was shoving food into my face. Forgive me.

I've seen quite a few posts about chickpea fries over the last year, and I was completely skeptical about how on earth they would work, let alone taste. Well my friends, my curiosity got the best of me. I decided it was time to give them a shot. And, guess what?! They rock my world. When fried, they're crispy outside with a softer, creamy inside. They're perfect and I'm already thinking of variations, maybe a really spicy cayenne fry or a curry fry. The possibilities are endless, really.

The fries use chickpea (garbanzo) flour, which I found at my grocery store in the "Healthy Living" aisle. It's Bob's Red Mill, and it was $3.00 for a bag. I'm sure you could find it at WholeFoods or other health food stores. Now, even though these are vegan, they are not that good for you, at least if you fry them like I did. I'll try baking them sometime, but I was craving fries yesterday, so that's how I made them. If you happen to make them by baking, let me know what you think.

You should know, this takes a few hours to make because once you mix all the ingredients, you will need to refrigerate it for at least 1-2 hours before frying. I think mine rested for about 2 1/2 hours before I started frying.

Makes enough for 3-4 people as a side. Though, I ate almost half all by myself. Oink, oink!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 1 1/2 TB olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to sprinkle on top after frying
• 2 dashes cayenne
• 2 dashes chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• canola oil for frying

Method:

1. You will need to line an 8x8 baking dish with some plastic wrap or parchment paper. Then set it aside.
2. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Once boiling, turn to low and carefully whisk in all of the ingredients except the canola oil. Add just a bit at a time so that it doesn't get lumpy. This only takes a couple of minutes. Now turn off the stove. This will be really thick, like polenta.
3. Using a spoon or spatula, carefully pour the chickpea mixture into the baking dish and smooth it down as much as possible. Now let it set out for about 15 minutes. Then loosely cover and put in the fridge for at least an hour. You'll know it's ready when you touch it and it is completely firm and doesn't give when you press your finger on it. 

4. Heat some oil in a deep pot or high-sided skillet. I poured about 1/2 inch of oil into a thick-bottomed, high-sided skillet. Heat over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Then turn to medium.
5. While the oil is heating, put the chickpeas onto a cutting board. Cut in half, then slice into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick slices. You want them kind of cube-like so they are easier to cook in shallow oil. Though, you could deep fry them and not worry about the size/shape so much. I just don't have a deep fryer. Line 2 plates with paper towel and have them nearby.
6. Use tongs to carefully place about 6-7 fries into the oil at a time. If you put too many in, the oil temp goes down and your fries absorb more oil. Cook, turning often until lightly golden brown on all sides. Then remove from oil and put on the paper towels to drain. Immediately sprinkle with kosher salt. Repeat until your fries are all done. Then serve up nice and hot with some ketchup or garlic mayo. Both are excellent, in my not-so-humble opinion!