Indian-Spiced Roasted Chickpeas

A dish is usually the starting point of a blog post; the related story comes later. That is to say, I normally start off with a dish which I'd like to present, then think of something about my life (or life in general) or something about that particular dish that I'd like to talk about. The story, therefore, serves as the peripheral context in which the dish stands. To put it Socratically, the dish is psyche, the immaterial vital core, whereas the story is merely soma/sarx, the corruptible shell. And that's my way of confusing you with a convoluted explanation to the self-explanatory beginning sentence.

This post is an exception, though. I started off with the context, then frantically rifled through my recipe files for a dish that would fit into that context. That should not be a big deal. But when the context was someone as fascinating and multi-faceted as one of my Twitter buddies and blog readers, things got a bit challenging. Writing about a body-builder/writer/humorist/philosopher/bariatric surgeon is easy, but what one single dish can you pair with such a person?

If I told the hermit that I was that within the next few years, not only would she create a blog but she'd be networking with people online, the reclusive broad would have fainted right in her cave. When done on such an uncomplicated and breezy (whatever that means ...) platform such as Twitter, social networking can be pretty entertaining. You get to "meet" people and learn from them. While some bizarre Tweeps make you question their upbringing or, worse, mental health, quite a few people I've "met" on Twitter are intelligent, funny, wise, talented individuals whose backgrounds and expertises help edify my life 140 characters at a time. Dr. B. Ramana, aka rambodoc, is one of them.

There's something about Dr. Ramana that reminds me of one of my dear friends. What both of them seem to have in common are a great sense of humor and quick wit. But they also have a knack for speaking their minds and an inability/unwillingness to sugarcoat the truth at the expense of integrity.



Printable Instructions
So I strutted into the kitchen, preheated the oven to 450 degrees F, put on my apron, and opened two 15-ounce cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans). I dumped the contents of the cans into a large sieve and rinsed off the goo with which the beans came. The chickpeas got patted dry with a nice, soft kitchen towel before they went into a mixing bowl. I added to the chickpea bowl, 1 teaspoon garam masala, 2 teaspoons ground turmeric, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons paprika, 2 teaspoons garlic powder (not garlic salt!), 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and 4 tablespoons of olive oil. With immaculately clean hands, I gently tossed the spices into the chickpeas, being careful not to break them apart as the broken pieces would get burned in the oven before the pieces that remained intact would have a chance to be cooked and crisped properly.

The chickpeas were then spread in a single layer on a baking sheet, lined with aluminum foil, and baked for 45-50 minutes. Half way through the baking time, I shook the baking pan around a few times so each and every kernel was evenly browned and crisped. After the chickpeas were done, I let them cool in the pan and stored them in an airtight container.

This recipe is very versatile. As long as you keep the bean:oil ratio as suggested and baked as instructed, you can play around with the spices and seasonings. You can make them savory or sweet, or something in between.

Why roasted chickpeas? Well, this is a snack that I usually set on the coffee table when I have friends over. In fact, around here they're the preferred choice of movie snack. Popcorn has got nothing on these crunchy, smoky roasted chickpeas. On a hot summer day, this makes for a great pre-BBQ snack while the guys get the charcoals started. On a cold winter night, imagine sitting in front of the fireplace with your friends and family each of whom munches on warm, crunchy brown sugar-cinnamon (brown sugar-pumpkin pie spice perhaps?) roasted chickpeas and sips hot chocolate or mulled cider between bites.

Roasted chickpeas, to me, bring to mind the joy of getting together with friends and the fun and uplifting conversations that inevitably ensue. I'm sitting here imagining myself in the company of Dr. Ramana, my Kolkata-based friend (hence the use of Indian spices), enjoying a great conversation over a bowl of roasted chickpeas.

Besides, there's also the guilt factor. Dr. Ramana is a fitness freak enthusiast. He's an advocate of the low-carbohydrate lifestyle, weight-training, and Intermittent Fasting. The dishes featured on my blog, as you can see, are not exactly low-carb compatible. Making a snack that is high in fiber and healthier than, say, caramel pecan turtles, is the least I can do.

I've recently asked the good doctor to answer some of my icebreaker-type questions. To my surprise, he actually enjoyed the process. If someone made me answer these silly questions, I would probably give them my trademarked look and chortle of disdain before walking away.

What made you want to become a doctor? Did you want to become one when you were little? And why bariatrics?
I was always fascinated by these guys who did weird things on intestines and stuff. I could afford only a few books when I was a kid. And among those few books we had around, there were a couple of nursing books on surgery. I got hooked! Over the last few years, bariatric surgery has become the hot new thing in surgery, so I got into it. But now it is part of a much bigger passion for me: helping people with fat loss and health. Rather than merely treating disease.

What's the deal with kettlebells? (Dr. Ramana's a big fan of kettlebells!) What are your favorite forms of exercise?
Kettlebells are by far the best way to become strong and lean. The bells are hard, unforgiving monsters that you have to tame or they hurt you, and in the process, you become a real dude. I am now a really serious student of kettlebells. I am actually dreaming of a day when I spend thousands of dollars to go to the US just to take the Russian Kettlebell Challenge (RKC) certification test! Now that is seriously crazy for a doctor to do, especially when I am not going to be a professional trainer. I know I could very well be one, but it doesn’t pay anywhere enough compared to surgery! Before I started with KBs, I was only doing dead-lifts. I believe in the one lift per day philosophy, like the Russians and Bulgarians. Training should be simple, but not simpler.

In simple layman term, what are the benefits of Intermittent Fasting and the low-carbohydrate lifestyle?
IF helps with fat loss and to bring down insulin levels. The latter then leads to more of the former. It also helps control the food-foraging mentality of people. What I mean is this — if I am the type who is always keen to put some food I see into my mouth and I get restless if I don’t eat something (especially when there is some food around), then IF is a great way of controlling calories. When I am in the fasting mode, I totally switch off food. Even the most tempting food will not move me. But once I am off my fast, I am back to eating clean and good food! A low-carb lifestyle is beneficial (to make things short and sweet) in two ways:
a) Obese people who are insulin-insensitive benefit most by cutting off carbs, and this helps control blood glucose levels and belly fat.
b) Cutting carbs takes away a lot of the worst foods (nutritionally speaking) from your life, and automatically improves the profile of your diet.

What do you love most about your job and what do you hate the most?
I love doing a difficult case in style, making people gasp with wonder (nowadays, everyone can see on the monitor what you are doing), and surprising a patient with a recovery he or she never dreamed possible. I hate talking money with patients and the compromises on that account (we have a lot of patients who can't afford a surgery).

If you weren't a doctor, you would be ....
A trainer and chef.

If you could take one religious leader (dead or alive) to dinner, who would it be, what restaurant would you pick, and what would you be discussing with that person?
In the unlikely situation described, I would dine at The Fat Duck or elBulli, and I would make sure of one thing: I wasn’t to be given the check. I would discuss fasting if I liked the guy (I am a strong atheist, you know?). I would like to think of dining with Vivekananda, a Hindu nationalist Indian leader who lived in the 19^th and 20^th century. The others seem to be misery-loving sorts.

If you could rid the world of one thing, what would it be?
Control over man’s freedom.

People in your life love you because ...
I am actually lovable! Okay, I have a $1M smile, ugly though I am, and an apparent honesty that women like, and I can be weirdly funny.***

What is the single most significant thing life has taught you so far?
Never think you are so insignificant that your thoughts and actions don’t count, but also never forget that the world will not look back at you from the day you die. So never think too big of yourself. Life is bigger than anyone and everyone.

Name one thing you couldn't live without.
Pleasure (I thought of saying ‘love’ first).

If I came to over for dinner with you and your family, I would most likely be served ...
A bill! Just kidding, of course. A choice between Thai, Italian and Chinese, if you wanted me to cook. Simple dishes like chili garlic noodles, fried rice with leeks/mushrooms/eggs, chili chicken, som tam, Thai green curry, fettuccini alfredo, spaghetti alla carbonara, salad with basil pesto, insalata caprese, mushroom risotto, etc.*

Biggest misconception people have about you?
That I am rich, spoiled, and overly critical!

What one single dish best represents your personality/the totality of who you are? Why?
Spaghetti aglio e olio con pepperoncino. Simple flavors — honest and clean. Easy to make, but difficult to perfect.



To get to know Dr. Ramana better, you can visit his official website on bariatrics and obesity research, or follow rambodoc on Twitter.


* Did I mention Dr. Ramana is a low-carb advocate? Uh, Doc?