Lunch: Sweet-Potato Pumpkin Seed, and Chickpea Party Mix

Ingredients

1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and patted dry
4 cups vegetable oil
1 small sweet potato
1/2 cup hulled (green) pumpkin seeds
3 (4-inch-long) fresh hot red chiles, cut crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices
1/4 cup raisins
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
Special equipment: a deep-fat thermometer

Instructions

Arrange chickpeas in 1 layer on paper towels and allow to air-dry while frying other ingredients.
Heat oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until deep-fat thermometer registers 365 °F.
While oil is heating, peel sweet potato and, using peeler (preferably Y-shaped), shave enough thin strips to measure 2 cups (reserve remaining sweet potato for another use).
Fry sweet-potato shavings, 1/2 cup at a time, until golden and just crisp, about 1 minute, then transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. (Return oil to 365 °F between batches.)
Cool oil to 340 °F.
Fry pumpkin seeds in 2 batches, covered (seeds will pop and splatter), until puffed (but not brown), 30 seconds to 1 minute, then transfer with slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. (Return oil to 340 °F between batches.)
Fry chiles until crisp but still red, about 1 minute, then transfer with slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
Fry chickpeas in 2 batches until golden and crisp throughout, 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer with slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
Toss sweet-potato crisps, pumpkin seeds, chiles, chickpeas, and raisins with sugar, cayenne, and salt to taste.

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