I first learned of this recipe through Jenny Rosenstrach’s website, Dinner: A Love Story. I heard her talk about it in a podcast interview and then noticed that she had posted two variations of it on her website, so I figured it must be a genuine favorite. Since making it for the first time, it has become one of my go-to’s for an inexpensive, healthy, and flavorful lunch or dinner. I’ve been making it at least a couple of times a month and my whole family loves it. It can be supplemented with pita bread or roasted vegetables, but I very often make just the chickpeas and yogurt for a light meal. This is my take on the recipe.
Savory, lightly salted, fried chickpeas are complemented by carmelized, crisped red onion. The fresh yogurt sauce, seasoned with za’atar and fresh lemon juice, is fragrant and the perfect blend of acidic and creamy. The yogurt sauce combined with the hot fried chickpeas creates a warm, saucy dish, full of flavor.
Fried Chickpeas with Yogurt
Adapted from Fried Chickpea Sandwiches with Yogurt Sauce by Jenny Rosenstrach
- Yield: 2-4 Servings (This is the amount I make for our family of four, counting two little girls who have petite appetites.)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
For the chickpeas:
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 small red onion, diced small
- 1 25 ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon fine ground sea salt or to taste
For the yogurt sauce:
- 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
- 1/4 teaspoon fine ground sea salt
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 teaspoon za’atar seasoning
Method
- Over medium heat, sauté diced red onion in olive oil, in a large frying pan, until it begins to soften and brown.
- Add garbanzo beans and pat down so they are in one layer. Leave undisturbed for about five minutes, or until they are golden on the bottom.
- Stir and add the garlic powder, paprika, and salt. Allow to brown for another three to five minutes, until they have an overall golden appearance and the red onion is caramelized.
- To make the sauce, mix together the yogurt, salt, lemon juice, and za’atar seasoning.
- Serve the garbanzo beans hot, with fresh yogurt sauce.
Gurl, this looks so good! I’m definitely going to try this. Since I don’t have the patience to wait for the za’atar seasoning in the mail, would you say that oregano and thyme would be an adequate substitute?
Yes, oregano is probably the strongest flavor in the mix, so I think that would work just fine! Don’t skip the lemon juice and salt, though. :) Then, if you like the dish overall enough trying it this way, you can always try the za’atar or another spice mix in the future. In the recipe on Dinner: A Love Story, she uses garam masala, which is delicious, too.
Yes, oregano is probably the strongest flavor in the mix, so I think that would work just fine! Don’t skip the lemon juice and salt, though. :) Then, if you like the dish overall enough trying it this way, you can always try the za’atar or another spice mix in the future. In the recipe on Dinner: A Love Story, she uses garam masala, which is delicious, too.
Gurl, this looks so good! I’m definitely going to try this. Since I don’t have the patience to wait for the za’atar seasoning in the mail, would you say that oregano and thyme would be an adequate substitute?