I used to hate chickpeas, but little by little they are earning  place in my heart (as I already told you in some previous blog post). 

This recipe is super quick if you have a store-bought harissa. If you don’t have harissa, you can make paste yourself (as I did)! Paste can be stored in a fridge for ~month and, if you like spicy food,  you will use it way quicker :). 

Harissa is a hot paste used in North african cuisine. Originally Tunisian, but super popular in other Maghreb countries. This paste gives spiciness and tanginess to any dish. 

This harissa and chickpeas duet turned out to be AMAZING. You can eat it as a snack or as a main dish with some salad and couscous. 

For 2-3 portions you will need:

• 1 can chickpeas
• 3-4 tbsp harissa* (you can add more)
• ½ tsp salt

1. Heat the oven to 200 °C.
2. Drain the chickpeas and wash it with running water. Dry excess water with paper towels.
3. In a mixing bowl add the chickpeas harissa and salt. Mix everything well.
4. Spread chickpeas into a sheet pan with parchment paper and bake it in the oven for 25-35 min. After 15 min flip chickpeas over to get crispy texture on both sides. 
5. Serve however you like. I served it with pearl couscous, bakoula, zaalouk and Moroccan carrot salad. 

Harissa paste*:

• 10 dried chillies
• 1 tbsp (heaping) ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ tsp smoked chili paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar 
• 1 tbsp tomato paste 
• 1/4 cup olive oil 

1. Add dried chilies to a mixing bowl and cover with hot water. Once submerged, cover and let it sit in hot water for 15-20 minutes to rehydrate. 
2. Add minced garlic, smoked paprika, salt, and mix. Then add lemon juice and vinegar and mix again until you’ve achieved a paste. Transfer paste to the food processor and add the tomato paste. 
3. Once chiles are rehydrated, drain and remove the stems and seeds. Add to the food processor and blend for ~2min, scraping down the sides until a smooth paste is achieved. 
4. Pour olive oil into the food processor while blending to create a sauce consistency. 
5. Taste and adjust flavor to your liking.