Chickpeas are a roundish, beige to light green members of the legume family, grown primarily in Asia, India, and in the Mediterranean.

This is the story of chickpeas.

It is a long history. This bean is loved throughout the world, from India, throughout the Middle East, into Europe and beyond. From spicy curries to soft and unctuous beans in salads. From pasta dishes to omelette like Soccas and Farinatas. Ground into flour and cooked on its own or mixed with other flours. This humble little pea sure is powerful.

Are you after Chickpea recipes? Try Hummus, Channa Chaat, Falafel, and Chickpea Salad with Feta and Preserved Lemon. You might also enjoy Channa Sundal, Smashed Chickpea and Broccoli Salad, or a Simple Chickpea Salad.

We have many more Chickpea recipes. You can browse the collection here.

Want to know how to cook the softest chickpeas? Our method is here.

About The Chickpea

Other Names for

chickpeas:

garbanzo beans

bengal gram

kabuli

channa dal

ceci (italian)

Most popular in the Middle Eastern dish hummus, chickpeas are a roundish, beige to light green members of the legume family. They are grown primarily in Asia, India, and in the Mediterranean.There are basically 2 types – Kabuli, or the larger European chickpea, and Desi, the smaller Indian variety.

In addition to the usual white chickpea, there is also a black variety and a green one.

Chickpeas are used a lot in Italian cooking, being used to make pasta and bean dishes. They are added to marinated vegetables and in antipasto. The French love the chickpeas and chickpea flour also.

Gram Flour – Chickpea Flour

Chickpeas also can be ground up and used as a flour called gram flour. Gram flour is used widely in India for a large variety of dishes, and elsewhere to make falafel, or in Burma to make a variety of tofu, known as Burmese tofu.

If you are out of gram flour it is easy to make. Lightly toast chickpeas by heating them in a frying pan until they colour slightly, shaking the pan to prevent burning. Place them in a blender and blend until they reach the consistency of flour. High speed blenders work best.

You might like to try: Chickpea Flour Flatbreads, Farinata, Chickpea Fingers and Pudla.

Nutrition

Chickpeas are great for vegetarians. A half a cup has about 17 grams of dietary fibre and 19 grams of protein. They are also considered more digestible than most other beans – ie less gas!

Chickpea Nutrition: From a nutritional standpoint, chickpeas are an excellent source of protein. With respect to other legumes they have a higher fat content, which makes them more caloric; they are therefore not what one wants during a diet. However, they are quite rich in calcium, making them a good choice for combating osteoporosis, are also rich in iron, and are an excellent source of fiber. They’re instead sodium-poor, which makes them a good bet for those on reduced sodium diets.

There is some confusion about whether chickpeas contain purine or not. The general consensus from my readers (see the comments) is that they do. But you will find some sites on the internet that indicate that purine is low. So please, do your own research if purine or lack of, is important to you.

You might like to read these articles:

A great, lay person’s explanation of purine, citing research that indicates purines from plant sources is used by the body in different ways to purine from animal products: WHFoods

This document on Diabetic Information, indicates that chickpeas can be eaten if you have gout, but in moderated amounts.

And there is much more conflicting information. Be guided by your doctor and your own research.

Soaking and Cooking Chickpeas

You can buy chickpeas in a can, but they taste so much better if you cook them yourself. If you buy raw chickpeas, in fact any dried bean or pea, check the production date on the package, because if they are too old they simply won’t soften no matter how long they soak or cook.

Soak the chickpeas overnight or for 24 hours if you can. If you like, add baking soda when soaking chickpeas, as it is said that it softens the skins and prevents the skins from slipping off during the cooking process, keeping the beans intact.

Cook them for 1 – 2 hours until nicely soft but not falling apart. I add a pinch of turmeric to the water as they cook. Don’t use salt – it toughens the skin. When cooked, they will have a rather creamy texture.

Because they take so long to cook, they are good to cook in the colder weather to warm the kitchen. But they can be eaten at all times of the year.

They can also be cooked very slowly in the oven. This produces a very soft, wonderful chickpea. They can also be cooked overnight in a slow cooker.

Chickpeas can be cooked and then frozen for later use in hummus or curries.

Removing Skins from Chickpeas

See this post for a solution.

Serving Chickpeas

The easiest way to serve them is still hot, drizzled with a extra virgin olive oil and seasoned to taste with celtic sea salt and pepper. Serve with bread and a salad for a light lunch or as part of a larger meal.

is still hot, drizzled with a extra virgin olive oil and seasoned to taste with celtic sea salt and pepper. Serve with bread and a salad for a light lunch or as part of a larger meal. Hummus is a must.

is a must. Use in salads and snacks as well as curries and bakes.

Chickpea curry is wonderful.

is wonderful. Chickpeas can also be fried for a wonderlicious snack.

for a wonderlicious snack. In antipasto. In tomato paella. With beans. In pasta dishes.

Spiritual Significance

In the local Hindu temple, we make garlands from soaked chickpeas for Siva. It is because the chickpeas resemble rudraksha beads. I also like the thought that, as chickpeas come in two halves, cojoined to make 1 chickpea, they represent the Siva Shakti bond, or even more, the Saivite monistic dualism – 2 yet 1.

recipes

Browse all of our Chickpea recipes here. You might like to try Hummus, Falafel and Slow Cooked Tomato Chickpeas.