
Air fryer sesame chickpeas with broccoli
Chickpeas air-fried until crunchy, then tossed in a glossy, sweet and savory sesame garlic sauce with broccoli over rice, a takeout-style dinner with no deep fryer.
- 35 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $1.48 a serving
- 590 calories
- Vegan
- Dairy-free

Dolly says: Read the steps once before you start. Everything goes smoother after that.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1½ cups jasmine rice, rinsed
- 2 cans chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted very dry
- 3 cups frozen broccoli
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)
From your pantry
- 2¼ cups water
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp cornstarch, divided
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
Each serving has about 590 calories, 21 g protein, 105 g carbs and 11 g fat, and costs about $1.48 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No jasmine rice? Long-grain white rice or basmati rice works.
- No frozen broccoli? Broccoli works.
- No green onions? Chives work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Put the rice, water and salt in a and over high heat.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
Stir once, cover, and cook on low 15 minutes, then leave it covered off the heat.
Low heatTimer: 15 min
the chickpeas with 5 teaspoons of the cornstarch and the oil until coated.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Dolly’s tip: The cornstarch coating is what turns them crackly, like takeout.Air fry at 400°F for 14 to 16 minutes, shaking every 5 minutes, until crunchy.
Timer: 15 min
Meanwhile, put the broccoli and ¼ cup water in a large , cover, and cook over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes, until hot. Tip it into a bowl.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Medium heatTimer: 4 min
the soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, the last teaspoon of cornstarch and ⅓ cup water. Pour it into the and 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until thick and glossy.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Medium heatTimer: 1 min 30 sec
Take the pan off the heat, add the chickpeas and broccoli, and until everything is coated.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Dolly’s tip: Toss right before eating. The chickpeas stay crunchiest when they hit the sauce last.Serve over the rice with sesame seeds and green onions on top.

Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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