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Azevias de grão
Sweet chickpea fried pastries
Azevias de grão: crisp fried Christmas half-moons filled with sweet chickpea, orange and cinnamon
Come December, Alentejo kitchens fill with the smell of these: thin, crisp pastries folded around a sweet chickpea paste flavoured with orange and cinnamon, fried until blistered and rolled in cinnamon sugar. Families make them by the hundred and share them with neighbours over Christmas. Many recipes add a splash of aguardente, a grape spirit containing alcohol, to the dough for crispness; it is optional here, and orange juice alone works. This version contains no egg or dairy. A common mistake is rolling the dough too thick; it should be thin enough to see light through, so it bubbles and crisps. Chef's tip: make the filling the day before; cold, firm filling is far easier to wrap.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the filling
- 14 oz cooked chickpeasdrained (2 tins)
- 6 ½ oz sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 orangezest finely grated, juice kept for the dough
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
For the dough
- 10 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 pinch salt
- ¼ cup olive oilwarm
- ¼ cup warm water
- 1 tbsp aguardente or brandy (optional)contains alcohol; leave out or use more orange juice
To fry and finish
- 4 ¼ cups sunflower oilfor frying
- 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rub 14 oz cooked chickpeas between your hands in water to slip off the skins, then blend until smooth.
15 minStep 2: Boil 6 ½ oz sugar and ¼ cup water for 3 minutes, add the chickpea purée, the zest from 1 orange and 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and cook over a low heat, stirring, for 10 minutes until thick enough to leave the base of the pan clean. Cool, cover and chill.
13 minStep 3: Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour and 1 pinch salt. Add ¼ cup olive oil and rub it in, then the juice of the orange, ¼ cup warm water and 1 tbsp aguardente or brandy if using, and knead into a smooth, firm dough. Rest it, covered, for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 4: Roll the dough very thinly, about 1 mm, and cut 10 cm circles.
Step 5: Put a teaspoonful of filling on one half of each circle, wet the edge with water, fold over into a half-moon and press the edges with a fork to seal.
Step 6: Heat 4 ¼ cups sunflower oil to 350°F. Fry the pastries 4 at a time for 2 minutes, turning once, until blistered and golden.
12 minStep 7: Drain on kitchen paper and, while still warm, roll them in 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar mixed with 2 tsp ground cinnamon. They keep a week in a tin.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does azevias de grão take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of cooked chickpeas?
- Cannellini or butter beans, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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