Begin by taking a 2qt sauce pan and placing the 3 1/2 cups of water in it. Turn the burner to high and add the 1 1/2 cups of chickpea flour, 1/2 cup of corn meal, 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 large clove of garlic finely minced. Whisk gently till it thickens and you start to get bubbles. Add the cilantro, the peppers, and the lemon zest. Give a couple more stirs to evenly mix the new ingredients in.

Then reduce the heat to medium, switch over to a spatula and continuously stir for 7 minutes. The goal is for some of the water to evaporate and the mix NOT stick to the bottom of the pan.

Take a small 13″X9″ cookie sheet place some foil wrap over top.

Pour the mix on top. Cover with some plastic wrap, place it in the freezer for 20 minutes and then switch it over to the refrigerator for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Or, place the mix in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours. Note the Southwest Chickpea Fries mixture can be made the night before, and held for the next day.

Remove the wrap and place a larger then the cookie sheet cutting board on top. Flip over and the solid mix will plop out. Discard the foil. Cut the mix in to approximately 1/2″ by 3 ” to get sticks.

Heat a skillet with cooking oil. The oil should cover at least half but closer to 3/4 of a Southwest Chickpea Fry. Heat the oil to around 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once the oil is up to temperature place some chickpea sticks carefully in to the oil and let cook for about 2ish minutes and then flip repeat for the other side. The chickpeas are done when all sides are lightly golden brown. Remove the fries and place on a paper towel for a quick couple of minutes. Give them quick sprinkle of salt and serve.