Chyches (Medieval-Inspired Spiced Garlic Chickpeas)
Cooked chickpeas oven-roasted with olive oil, garlic, pepper, and ginger: a modern snack inspired by the medieval dish chyches.
- Original yieldYield
- 4 snack servings4 snack servings
- PrepPrep time
- CookCook time
- TotalTotal time
Published Updated
Original recipe: 4 snack servings
The story behind the recipe
Garlic goes onto these chickpeas near the end, after their surfaces have had time in the oven. Pepper, ginger, and a little cinnamon season the beans first. The fresh garlic cooks only for the final few minutes.
Brown outside, tender inside
Cooked chickpeas are the starting point here. They become a roasted snack or side with lightly browned surfaces, though the centers can stay tender. Don't expect the dry crunch of a packaged snack. Serve them warm; they soften further in the refrigerator.
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Ashes in the medieval directions
The chyches in The Forme of Cury takes a much longer route. The legumes receive an overnight treatment in ashes or hot embers, then washing in clean water and boiling over the fire. Oil, garlic, whole saffron, strong spice powder, and salt follow.
Samuel Pegge's 1780 edition queries part of the ashes instruction and glosses the legumes as vetches. Chickpeas are our interpretation of the ingredient, and oven roasting is a substantial change from the boiled preparation. The collection was compiled around 1390 and is associated with Richard II's master cooks; Pegge's later printed edition is the source used here.
In the companion Forme of Cury article, chyches sits beside macrows, whose pasta, butter, and cheese layering stays closer to its source. The two recipes show different uses of the same collection without needing to disguise the freer interpretation of these beans.
A short spice list
Garlic and oil remain central. Pepper and ginger supply our simple strong-spice mixture, with cinnamon added and the source's saffron omitted. The passage gives no formula for the powder, so the modern blend is a choice, not a recovered medieval recipe within the recipe.
Pepper gives pungency, ginger warmth, and cinnamon an aromatic note. There's no sugar syrup here; the beans stay on the savory side. The seasonings reach their surfaces through the oil, which is divided so the garlic can join later.
The drained weight is important when buying canned chickpeas. A can's total contents include liquid, so a 400 g can won't necessarily provide 400 g beans. Weigh home-cooked chickpeas after draining too. The seasonings need to meet the amount actually spread on the sheet, not an estimate that includes discarded water.
Leave room for the roast
Cooked beans carry moisture into the oven. Drying their surfaces and giving them space keeps the preparation aimed at roasting rather than a crowded wet heap. More beans may call for another sheet instead of a thicker layer.
The garlic needs particular attention in the final minutes. Small minced pieces can darken while the larger chickpeas still look unchanged. A quick check of the seasoning on the sheet is more useful than extending the time for a deeper color on every bean. A small bowl served warm is enough for this spicy, garlicky version of chyches.
Make it your wayOriginal: 4 servings · Makes 4 snack servings
Original recipe: 4 snack servings
Ingredients
For 4 snack servings. Quantities are shown as written.
Source measurement convention: Metric. Explicit unit definitions take precedence; unconfirmed measures must be checked before conversion.
Original quantities for 4 snack servings.
- Drained cooked chickpeas, rinsed and thoroughly dried400 g
- Extra virgin olive oil, divided45 ml
- Garlic, finely minced2 cloves
- Ground black pepper1/2 metric tsp
- Ground ginger1/2 metric tsp
- Fine salt3 g
- Ground cinnamon1/4 metric tsp
Measurement notes
- ground black pepper, ground ginger, ground cinnamon: tsp: 1 = 5 ml.
Measurement notes
Original ingredients
- 400 g drained cooked chickpeas, rinsed and thoroughly dried
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 tsp ground black peppertsp: 1 = 5 ml.
- 1/2 tsp ground gingertsp: 1 = 5 ml.
- 3 g fine salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamontsp: 1 = 5 ml.
Equipment
Rimmed baking sheet
Instructions
Heat the oven and dry the chickpeas
Heat a conventional oven to 400°F (200°C). Spread the drained cooked chickpeas on a clean towel and dry them thoroughly; remove loose skins if you like.
Season and spread the chickpeas
Toss the chickpeas with roughly two-thirds of the listed olive oil, the black pepper, ginger, fine salt, and cinnamon. Spread in one layer on a rimmed baking sheet, roughly 13 by 18 inches.
Roast and mix the garlic oil
Roast for 25 minutes, shaking the sheet after about 15 minutes. While they roast, mix the remaining third of the olive oil with the minced garlic.
Add the garlic oil and finish roasting
Toss the hot chickpeas with the garlic oil, then return to the oven for about 5 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant and the chickpeas are lightly browned. Watch the garlic and stop sooner if it begins to darken.
Cool briefly and serve warm
Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then serve warm. The centers may remain tender; this method does not make a fully dried pantry snack.
Estimated calories 230 kcal
Nutrition portion: 1/4 of recipe · Original yield: 4 snack servings
Source & assumptions
Ingredient-based estimate using CoFID 2021, identified manufacturer information. Approximately 230 kcal per nutrition portion. Includes all 45 ml of olive oil and the garlic-oil finish. Ingredients, brands and preparation affect values.
Recipe notes
Original recipe notes
These notes describe the original recipe. Quantities mentioned here do not change when you adjust servings.
Cooked-weight baseline: Weigh the listed chickpea amount after draining. One 400 g can does not provide 400 g drained chickpeas. Check the drained-weight label and use enough cans, or weigh home-cooked chickpeas.
Planning: Allow 10 minutes preparation, approximately 30 minutes roasting, and 5 minutes cooling, for 45 minutes total. These are conventional-oven settings; convection needs its own adjustment.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in a shallow covered container within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C). Keep at 40°F (4°C) or below and use within 3 days. They will soften in storage. If reheating, heat to 165°F (74°C) and watch for scorching garlic; do not leave them in a tin at room temperature for days.
Read the scaling guide. Times, temperatures and equipment need their own consideration. Open the recipe tool to review and correct individual amounts.
Sources and attribution
Chyches, recipe 72, printed p. 40 in Pegge's 1780 The Forme of Cury, compiled around 1390. Prepared chickpeas, roasting, and seasoning amounts are modern choices.
Curious about the drinks of the period? Our sister site, Forgotten Drink, explores medieval beer, water and the evidence behind them.
Recipe details
- Recipe tradition
- Vintage
- Cuisine
- British
- Historical period
- Medieval
- Browse category
- Snacks & Dips