These are not peas for you: how to soak and cook chickpeas, what to cook from them

Chickpeas are small beans. Chickpeas have a pleasant nutty flavor. Boiled and crushed to a puree consistency, it is a nutritious snack common in cooking. Used for making purees, chickpea flour, soups, pates. Chickpeas are the basis for hummus and falafel, famous Arabic dishes. In this article we answer the most popular questions: how to soak chickpeas correctly, how long to cook chickpeas, how to cook chickpeas tasty and simple. Let's touch on the nutritional properties of chickpeas and other interesting facts from the life of this representative of legumes.

Chickpeas: cereal, peas or something else

Chickpeas are not a grain. More like peas. It would be more correct to say: chickpeas or chickpeas. A variety of legumes, so named because the pea looks like a ram's head, and their homeland is Turkey. Popular in Israel, India, and the Arab world.

For Arabs, chickpeas are like potatoes for Belarusians or rice for the Chinese.

Today chickpeas are grown in about 50 countries around the world. The yields of this legume are constantly growing; according to some data, today chickpeas rank third among legumes, second only to beans and peas. Most chickpeas are grown in India.

Chickpeas (seeds) are used in cooking. They are slightly larger in size than classic peas, and the color is light brown.

Final tips

The peas should be the same color and, preferably, the same size. They can be stored in a dry, cool place, away from direct sunlight. If the temperature is from 0 to 5 degrees Celsius, then the shelf life can reach one year. Turkish peas do not require any special packaging. Some people store it in resealable jars, others in canvas bags - there is not much difference. Perhaps it is better to keep it away from spices, as it can become saturated with their smell.

That's basically it. Eat healthy and try new things.

Irina Polyanitsa My name is Irina, I am the owner and admin of the site, as well as the author of most of the recipes and articles. I love to cook simple and healthy delicacies. Certified gym instructor, personal trainer. She completed a course on nutrition and health at Stanford University, Stanford Introduction to Food and Health, as well as a course at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy (about nutrition and lifestyle during pregnancy).

How to soak chickpeas

Soaking chickpeas is a simple procedure. Place the peas in a bowl or pan and cover with cool water. The water should cover the chickpeas with a “cap” of several centimeters.

How long should you soak chickpeas? Chickpeas (like other legumes) should be soaked for a long time - for 8-12 hours, or better yet, overnight. If possible, after 4-5 hours you can drain the water.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas under running water. Now you can cook.

On the subject: Why you need to soak chickpeas, what phytic acid is and why it is harmful to the body

How to cook chickpeas

Cooking chickpeas is also easy. But there are a few quiet rules that allow you to turn cooking into a small work of art.

1. Water.
   Pour plenty of water into the pan and bring to a boil. Add washed and soaked chickpeas. To add some spice, you can add a clove of garlic and a sprig of rosemary at the very beginning - when the water boils, take them out.
2. Cooking.
   Cook over low heat, covered with a lid. Simmering allows the chickpeas not to crack or boil over.
3. Checking readiness.
   To stir and check the readiness of the chickpeas, use a wooden spoon.
4. Salt.
   The chickpeas should be salted at the very end. Salt (as well as lemon, tomatoes, and other acidic foods) makes chickpeas firmer. The outer film hardens. If you add salt at the beginning, you will slow down the cooking.
5. Nuance.
   Super advanced housewives add kombu seaweed to soften chickpeas. Like soda, kombu makes chickpeas softer and enriches them with useful substances.

How long to cook chickpeas? Approximate cooking time is 1-2 hours, depending on the number of beans in the pan. Taste the peas with a wooden spoon. They should be soft, but not crack or fall apart.

Should I remove the skin after the heat treatment process or not?

Some gourmets claim that chickpeas have a softer and more delicate taste if the top skin is removed after heat treatment. It is a thin film that separates quite well from the main grain. If the cooking time is 1 hour or more, then it itself begins to lag behind the bean. Some skins even float to the surface of the water during the cooking process.

But chefs do not give a definite answer as to whether such a labor-intensive manipulation is necessary. Moreover, does it make any significant sense in terms of achieving a certain taste in the product?

So nutritionists advise leaving the skin. After all, it is a source of additional fiber, which has a positive effect on the digestion process.

If you want to pick the skin, you need to prepare for the fact that such manipulation will take a lot of time.

Chickpeas: benefits and harm

Chickpeas, like other legumes, contain protein. Due to its high protein content, this plant-based product can replace meat while reducing the fat content of the dish. Chickpeas also normalize blood sugar levels. Chickpeas also contain methionine, which helps reduce cholesterol levels in the blood. Methionine, chickpeas can influence the reduction of cholesterol levels in the blood. Manganese helps balance the nervous system.

Dishes containing chickpeas are satisfying.

Chickpeas are high in protein and also make you feel full quickly. It is clear that this type of legume is widely used in vegetarian cuisine.

However, not only vegetarians love chickpeas. It is often included in the menu of people who are on a diet. After all, chickpeas have a low calorie content; chickpeas help break down fats and cleanse the body.

The calorie content of dry chickpeas is 364 kcal per 100 g. But since chickpeas quickly give a feeling of fullness, in one meal a person eats much less than 100 grams (dry) of chickpeas in a dish!

Nutritional value of 100 g of product (average value):

• proteins - 20 g;
• fats - 4 g;
• carbohydrates - 46 g;
• energy value - 310 kcal.

What do chickpeas taste like?

Yes, chickpeas are a legume crop. But the taste of chickpeas is in no way similar to peas, soybeans, or beans. If you cook it without spices, it will taste most like mashed potatoes. True, nutty notes are detected.

Simple cooking tips:

1. Side dish or appetizer. Mash the boiled chickpeas and season with spices (black pepper, chili pepper, coriander, cumin, nutmeg and other spices to taste). You can add chopped herbs: green onions, dill, parsley. As an appetizer, you can place it on lettuce leaves.
2. Paste.
   Add to spaghetti: boiled chickpeas, feta cheese, herbs, olive oil.
3. Stew.
   Simmer boiled chickpeas with tomatoes, walnuts and spices for 20 minutes.
4. Soup.
   Add chickpeas to vegetable soup. This will improve the taste, improve the structure and enrich the nutritional value.

Cooking in a slow cooker

In order to cook chickpeas in a slow cooker, the already soaked and washed peas are poured into a bowl and filled with water so that it covers them by 2-3 centimeters. After this, add bay leaf and cook on the “stew” program for about an hour. At the end you can add salt and other spices.

Many argue that it is necessary to remove the skins from the peas, but this is just a matter of taste. The skins have virtually no effect on the taste of the finished dishes, but they are an additional source of fiber.

Simple chickpea recipes

Homemade chickpea hummus

Necessary

• Chickpeas – 1 glass;
• Sesame – 0.5 cups;
• Garlic – 4 cloves;
• Zira – 1 teaspoon;
• Olive oil – 1 tablespoon;
• Ground black pepper, lemon juice, paprika, salt - to taste.

How to cook

1. Sort the chickpeas and soak for 8-12 hours. Drain and rinse.
2. Cook the chickpeas for about two hours over low heat. Skim off the foam. The chickpeas are ready when the peas become soft and can be easily broken with your fingers. Cool without draining the broth.
3. Place sesame and cumin seeds in a dry frying pan. Fry over low heat until light golden brown. Do not leave the pan, stir constantly. If you overcook sesame seeds, they will taste bitter.
4. Grind sesame seeds to a paste. This is best done with an immersion blender.
5. Pour out the chickpeas. Grind with garlic. To adjust the consistency, you can add a little water in which the chickpeas were cooked.
6. Mix with sesame paste. Add salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice to taste.

Serve hummus sprinkled with paprika and drizzled with olive oil.

Chickpea puree

Necessary

• Chickpeas - 300 g (dry);
• Garlic, salt, black and red ground pepper, chili pepper, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, other spices and herbs - to taste.

How to cook

1. Cook the chickpeas as described above.
2. Add salt and spices to taste. sprinkle with chopped herbs.

Chickpea cutlets

Necessary

• Chickpeas – 250 g;
• Onions – 1 piece;
• Garlic – 3 cloves;
• Chicken egg - 2 pieces;
• Salt, cumin, ground black and red pepper, vegetable and sesame oil - to taste.

How to cook

1. Sort the chickpeas and soak for 8-12 hours. Drain and rinse.
2. Grind raw chickpeas in a blender or grind in a meat grinder.
3. Also chop the onion and garlic.
4. Mix all ingredients with raw chicken eggs and spices to taste.
5. Heat a frying pan and fry the cutlets in a small amount of oil. The cutlets should be no thicker than 1.5 cm in order to cook well. Chickpeas fry very quickly!

Vitamins

Salads with chickpeas

There are many recipes for salads with chickpeas. I’ll tell you about the one I cook and love myself. Minimum ingredients.

Beautiful salad with chickpeas, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes

Necessary

• Spinach - a bunch;
• Sun-dried tomatoes – 200g;
• Pitted olives – 200 g;
• Boiled chickpeas – 200 g (you need less dry);
• Olive oil and balsamic vinegar - to taste.

How to cook

• Cut everything you want, mix all the ingredients, season with oil and vinegar.
• Salad with chickpeas and fresh vegetables
• Green salad – 1 piece;
• Boiled or canned chickpeas – 250 g;
• Green onions – 1 bunch;
• Fresh tomatoes - 1 piece;
• Sweet pepper - 1 piece;
• Garlic – 2 cloves;
• Salt, ground black pepper, olive oil and apple cider vinegar to taste.

Exotic salad with chickpeas

Necessary

• Dry chickpeas - 100 g;
• Canned tuna – 200 g;
• Sour apple – 1 piece;
• Juice of half a lemon – about 15 ml;
• Salt, Italian herbs and olive oil - to taste.

How to cook

1. Boil chickpeas (instructions above).
2. Grate the apple on a coarse grater or cut into small cubes. Soak for a few minutes in a bowl of water with lemon juice. Remove the apple and dry.
3. Grind the tuna.
4. Mix all ingredients.