Chickpea Fries with Sweet and Smoky Romesco Sauce

 Bake instead of fry to make these nibbles healthy. And swap chickpeas for potatoes for a protein boost. These chickpea fries get super crispy in the oven and pair well with almost any kind of sauce or dressing. But the creamy, nutty, and smoky romesco sauce pairs perfectly with them.

Chickpea Fries with Sweet and Smoky Romesco Sauce

Ingredients

 1 ½ cups chickpea flour

 ½ cup organic cornmeal

 3 cloves garlic (grated)

 2 tsp chili powder

 ½ tsp salt (optional)

 ½ tsp ground black pepper (optional)

 3 ½ cups water

 4 lemon wedges

Directions

1

Line an 8x8-inch square or 13x9-inch rectangular baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.

2

To a large bowl, add the chickpea flour, cornmeal, garlic, chili powder, salt and ground pepper, if using.

3

Whisk well until smooth.

4

Place a medium pot over medium-high heat on the stovetop.

5

Pour the batter into the pot and continue to whisk until the batter starts to thicken (about 2–3 minutes). Whisk continuously to prevent the batter from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

6

Once the batter has thickened, transfer it to the baking dish, smoothing it down with a spatula. You’ll want the pressed batter to be about ½” thick (if it’s too thick it won’t cook thoroughly in the center.)

7

Allow to cool, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

8

To prepare the fries: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

9

Gently pull the parchment paper out of the baking dish and onto a cutting board. Cut the dough into fries, approximately 3" long and 1/2” wide.

10

Bake the fries on a parchment-lined baking sheet (you can use the same parchment paper you used for the refrigerator) for 10 minutes. Flip then bake for another 10 minutes.

11

Remove from oven and enjoy with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a side of Sweet and Smoky Romesco Sauce (link in notes) for dipping.

Chef's Notes

Sweet and Smoky Romesco Sauce
Recipe can be found here.

The delicateness of the fries
These fries are delicious and crispy when baked! However, before and during baking they can be a bit finicky and fall apart so be careful when cutting and flipping.

If you don’t want to use cornmeal, you can use all chickpea flour.

Delicious and nutritious additions
If you want a smoky flavor, add smoked paprika along with chili powder or dust the fries after they’re done baking.

Add minced hardy herbs to the dough mixture, like rosemary, oregano, or thyme.

Sprinkle with fresh herbs after baking, like chopped cilantro, dill, or parsley.

Try a variety of dipping sauces and dressings with this like Easy Vegan Mayo, malt vinegar, or Green Goddess Dressing.

https://foodrevolution.org/recipes/crispy-chickpea-fries/