Chickpea, garbanzo, gram, Egyptian pea, ciecierzyca…Whatever you call this little “bean”, it is truly magical.
Central ingredient for so many dishes: hummus, dips, salad dressings, soups, stews, curry…you get the picture. You can roast them as a crunchy snack, transform into an omelette or just add to a salad. And then there is aquafaba which I am yet to master.
No matter how you make it, chickpeas pack tons of nutrients and make each meal filling and yummy. And the best part, they are really inexpensive especially if you buy in dry bulk. It’s not a bad idea to have a can or two as an emergency supply but your hummus or stew will taste so much better with home-cooked chickpeas. I usually make a big pot each week and use half to make hummus or some kind of spread and rest I “sprinkle” on my meals throughout the week. I even make soup out of the liquid aka aquafaba. There is no magic to cooking chickpeas but definitely cooking them right, makes your creations taste that much better.
chickpea prep
Author: sculptorette
- 6 – 8 cups chickpeas (dry)
- water
- 1 onion
- 4 garlic
- bay leaf
- chili pepper flakes
- salt
- Soak chickpeas for at least 6 hours preferably overnight.
- When ready to cook, rinse, transfer to a pot and add at least twice the volume of chickpeas in water.
- Add onion, garlic, and spices. Chili flakes add a nice flavor, they will not make chickpeas spicy (unless you’ll add a lot…)
- Cook on low heat. Cooking time will depend on how long they were soaking and what you will be using them for. For example for hummus or spreads, cook under cover as they will be softer and fluffier.
- After they reach desired texture, drain and keep in a glass container with cover. If you do not cover them, the top layer will dry up pretty fast. (do not discard the water – it is a great base for soups!)
- In this state, you can either make something else out of them or keep in the fridge up to a week and add to meals.
- Enjoy!
