Moroccan Chickpea Nachos
(Serves 2)
*Pita Bread, large x 2 (cut into triangles), spread with ghee (clarified butter) and toasted crispy in oven
*Chickpeas, tinned x 1 can 400grams (drained, rinsed)
*Garlic x 1/2 clove, minced/finely chopped
*Paprika, sweet, 1/2 teaspoon for chickpea mix and 1/2 teaspoon for fragrant oil mix
*Cumin, ground, 1/2 teaspoon for chickpea mix and 1/2 teaspoon for fragrant oil mix
*Sour cream x 1 tablespoon
*Plain yoghurt x 1 tablespoon
*Tahini (sesame paste) x 1 tablespoon
*Optional: Chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon right at the end
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-I recommend making your own clarified butter which makes the pita chips taste slightly nutty and especially flavourful. It added ‘wow’ factor when I tried chips this way at a restaurant. Just put unsalted butter into a saucepan on a very low heat and allow to melt until you have a clear oil on top and the milk solids are sitting on the bottom. Poor off the clear clarified butter, being careful to leave the milk solids in the saucepan. Clarified butter or ghee has a high smoking point and doesn’t burn easily like butter. You can make this ahead of time and keep it in the fridge in a bowl, covered.
-Toast pieces of pita bread in oven spread with ghee until golden brown, being careful not to burn, then set aside.
-You’ll need two little saucepans for the next two steps to make fragrant oil and chickpea mix. In one saucepan add chickpeas, tahini, yoghurt, sour cream and half the paprika and cumin, stir and heat through until hot but not boiling, then keep warm.
-In another saucepan, melt ghee (or clarified butter), fry minced garlic, add the rest of the ground cumin and paprika. Pour half of this oil into the chickpeas and leave the rest which will be used later.
-Assemble nachos. Dollop some chickpea mixture onto a plate, add some pita chips, more chickpea mix and more chips. There should be three layers of chips and two layers of chickpeas. Finish with chips and then sprinkle with fragrant oil and optional chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon.