Fresh Garbanzo Bean Botana
The fresh garbanzo beans, as seen above, are for sale at any Hispanic or Latino grocery store. They are bright green, and have a fresh pea-looking bean inside. You suck the shell to get the seasoning, pull the bean out with your tounge, and then discard the shell…the same way we eat sunflower seeds.
These are not for shy eaters, much like sunflower seeds.The discarded shells can pile up fast, as you can see below, so have a paper towel or large napkin on standby.
Fresh Garbanzo Beans
1/2 lb. fresh garbanzo beans, shell on
1-2 limes (to taste)
Salt to taste
Chili powder or fruit chili (salsa en polvo) to taste
1/8- 1/4 cup olive oil
Bring a pot of water to a boil, with enough water to float the garbanzos. Boil the garbanzos for 4-5 minutes and drain in a colander. Shake the colander to get as much of the water as you can out of the shells. Let them sit for 10 minutes to cool.
Place them in a large zip lock bag, and add all additional ingredients to your tastes. Taste for saltiness each time before adding more. In Mexico they like a lot of chili powder and lime, and to serve these with a lot of Mexican beer.
Note how much of each you like, to reference for the next time you make these.
Tags: botana, chili powder, garbanzo, lime, snack