Spicy Matcha Crunchy Chickpeas Recipe

Name: Spicy Matcha Crunchy Chickpeas
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 3
Cuisine: Fusion
Ingredients: 3 c Chickpeas*, cooked and drained or 2-14 oz cans, drained; 3 tsp Olive or Canola Oil, divided; ¾ - 1 tsp Salt, to taste; ½ tsp Yu Matcha; ¼ tsp Chili Powder**

Does adding powdered green tea to snack foods make them healthier? I think it does, because when you eat or drink ground green tea, like Yu's Ceremonial Grade Matcha or Yu Sencha powder, you consume the whole tea leaf. Some of the important antioxidants in green tea are not water-soluble, so you end up throwing most of them away when you brew green tea. As one of the top antixodants, ground green tea packs a more powerful antioxidant punch, and as my grandmother said, ‘pennies make dollars!’ A quarter-teaspoon of matcha or sencha powder here and there can add up to the equivalent of many cups of brewed green tea!

Umami Flavor Boost

But for me, the best reason to add green tea powder to snacks is the delightful, hard-to-describe but oh-so-recognizable flavor of Umami (ooh-mah-me). Umami, the so-called ‘fifth taste,’ is a savory flavor that appears in toasted or roasted foods, and adds depth, fullness, and an extra sense of satisfaction to foods. Green tea is a great source of Umami and is easy to sprinkle into all kinds of foods.

>> Find: The Best Green Tea

Today, with the sun shining, I decided I wanted a crunchy, salty, healthy snack to go with my afternoon Crisp Iced Green Tea. Chickpeas are also healthy, loaded with fiber, zinc, folate, and protein. These crunchy chickpeas really hit the spot! I used canned chickpeas for convenience, but this snack is simple to make and very inexpensive if you plan ahead and start with dried chickpeas.