Snack · Baked chickpea batter

Karantita (Calentica)

It's baked, not fried — essentially a savory custard made from beans.

Karantita (also called calentica) is a smooth batter of chickpea flour, water, eggs, and olive oil, baked in wide round trays until the top turns golden and slightly crisp while the inside stays soft and custardy. Street vendors in Algiers and Oran slice it straight from the tray and serve it warm, dusted with cumin and salt.

Why it's made this way: The dish is most closely tied to Oran, which Spain held for much of the 16th to 18th centuries; its name comes from the Spanish 'calentita', 'little warm one', and chickpea flour offered a cheap, filling base vendors could bake in bulk and sell by the slice to workers on the move.