A savory treat for Purim: sumac and cumin spiced roasted chick peas!
Judging by the number of recipes for them on the Internet, roasted chick peas are downright trendy. It makes sense. Roasted chick peas are healthy — naturally vegan, gluten-free, high in protein and fiber — and they happen to taste delicious. We can all think of some people who would be interested in a food that ticks all those boxes.
But seasoned roasted chick peas are nothing new to the Jewish people. Known as arbes in Yiddish, roasted chick peas have been a traditional food for the Jews since, well, Biblical times. We think of hummus as a Middle Eastern, and hence Sephardic, food, but Ashkenazi Jews have been toasting l’chaim and snacking on roasted chick peas for centuries as well.
Chick peas are especially traditional at Purim, as a way to honor Queen Esther, the heroine of the Purim story. When Queen Esther was living in the court of the Persian king – hiding her Jewish faith – she subsisted on a vegetarian diet of nuts, legumes and seeds to avoid breaking the kosher laws. Eating foods with poppy seeds at Purim, for example, honors Queen Esther’s bravery and her devotion to her people. The same principle applies to chick peas.
Thus, there are traditional Purim foods made with chick peas all over the Jewish diaspora, such as the turnovers filled with chick peas made by Iraqi Jews. And, naturally, arbes. One of the key tenets of Purim is that we are supposed to imbibe — to excess even. All that drinking requires a salty, can’t-stop-eating-it snack. Arbes fits the bill perfectly.
So while roasted chick peas may seem like a very 21st century snack – and there are recipes online for Cool Ranch roasted chick peas and chili-lime roasted chick peas to prove it – just remember that the Jews have been roasting and seasoning chick peas to eat as a snack long before anyone was vegan or Paleo or avoiding carbs.
This recipe, which is otherwise pretty straightforward, does have one important twenty-first century twist: the Instant Pot. Before the Instant Pot, you either had to plan far in advance and soak dried chick peas overnight before cooking them OR use canned beans, which were ready to go out of the can, but lacked something in texture. Now, however, thanks to the miracle of electric pressure cookers – yes, I think they should be considered a miracle – you can start with dried chick peas and have them tender enough to roast in a little over an hour.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can easily make this recipe with drained and rinsed canned chick peas. It will still be delicious and healthy and festive for Purim. But if you are as enamored of your Instant Pot as I am of mine and enjoy being able to conveniently cook dried chick peas, without hours of soaking, I hope you will try this method of making arbes with dried chick peas.
Even though arbes is an Ashkenazi food, I went straight Middle Eastern when flavoring these roasted chick peas: lots of cumin and sumac and some orange zest for sweetness. You can, of course, season roasted chick peas anyway you like; that’s part of the beauty of them. Just be sure to add the spices after roasting because too much time in the oven will make your spices bitter. And do not skimp on the salt.
So, whether you are celebrating Purim on Wednesday or just looking for a salty, crunchy, downright irresistable snack – and whether you start with canned chick peas or dried – try these roasted chick peas seasoned with cumin, sumac and orange zest.
Chag sameach Purim! Happy Purim!
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried chick peas (or substitute canned chick peas, rinsed and drained)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 2 tsp sumac
- Zest of one orange
- 1 tsp paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- If using dried chick peas, rinse them, checking for small pebbles, and place in the Instant Pot. Cover with 7 cups of water and add 1 tsp kosher salt.
- Cook on high pressure for 40 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally for at least 20 minutes before opening. (Check chick peas to ensure they are tender all the way through. If not, cook on high pressure another 5 minutes.)
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Drain chick peas in a colander and allow to dry. Line a sheet pan with paper towels and spread chick peas out on the sheet pan to ensure they are completely dry before roasting.
- In a large bowl, toss dry chick peas with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.
- Spread chick peas out in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for thrirty minutes, tossing once halfway through.
- Remove chick peas from oven and sprinkle with cumin, sumac, orange zest and paprika. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
