Garbanzos Fritos — Abuela Recipes

Abuelita Marjorie lived in Spain for many years, in a region called Galicia.

She fell in love with the northern city of Santiago de Compostela where two of my siblings were born. It was a magical place with beautiful dense forests, very old stone buildings, friendly people, a distinct language and of course, tasty Iberian food that she continued to miss dearly after she moved back to Puerto Rico.  

Interestingly, she also became very close with her Cuban neighbor in Santiago, which is why she started to learn some Cuban words, traditions and even, recipes. That’s probably where her famous Garbanzos Fritos recipe comes from. I always thought it was a Spanish or Galician recipe.

But while the Cuban version appears to have pancetta, chorizo and tomato sauce, abuelita’s version was much simpler. 

Grandma made garbanzos fritos pretty often when we were growing up, probably because it’s super easy to make. I remember thinking it was a brilliant culinary invention of slightly crunchy and savory chickpeas on the outside, yet creamy and comforting on the inside. It was always served over a bed of perfectly fluffy white rice — I still think it's brilliant.

Garbanzos Fritos

• 1 Can of garbanzos
• 4 Cloves of garlic, minced
• ½ Yellow onion, diced
• Adobo to taste
• Olive Oil
• Fried Egg (optional)

Sauté the onion on a couple of tablespoons of olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute before adding the drained garbanzos.
Add an extra drizzle of olive oil and season to taste. Cook for about 12 minutes on medium heat uncovered. Then, cover for another minute or two. Serve over white rice. You could also add a fried egg on top — it’s optional.

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