John Myers
In many countries, chickpeas are a filling staple that is used in a variety of dishes. Whether in a creamy Indian curry or as a crispy Arabic falafel: it’s worth trying the versatile legumes!
Things to know about chickpeas
Chickpeas have been cultivated and used since Neolithic times. The cultivated plant probably originated from the wild form “Cicer reticulatum Lad.” from which the German name is derived – the Latin word “cicer” (pea) became “kiker” and finally “kicher”. The annual plant grows in a subtropical climate, the main growing countries are in Asia. The seeds of the legumes are harvested as food.
Purchasing and storage
Chickpea seeds, referred to simply as garbanzo beans, can be purchased dried or canned. Already cooked chickpeas from the can can be used directly for chickpea recipes, they only need to be heated. You should soak dried chickpeas overnight and only then cook them – the chickpeas will form foam, which is best skimmed off. Soaking makes the legumes more digestible and shortens the otherwise very long cooking time. The seeds are inedible raw. Canned goods can usually be kept for more than a year, and dried chickpeas can be kept for at least twice as long. Once the can or jar has been opened, the contents will keep for about three days in the refrigerator. It is better to refill the legumes and other canned foods so that no parts of the inner coating come off and get into the food.
Kitchen tips for chickpeas
Cook the chickpeas for about an hour or two, or about 20 minutes in the pressure cooker. The longer the soaking time, the shorter the cooking time. Due to their almost neutral taste, the range of dishes with chickpeas is huge and ranges from spicy stews and sophisticated spreads such as our carrot hummus dip to crunchy salads. Small bites like the crispy fried falafel and roasted chickpeas are also popular. You can also bake sweets with chickpeas, such as brownies or muffins. They will be nice and juicy with the legumes.
How do you puree chickpeas?
This is best done with a blender or kitchen chopper, because that way the previously cooked and peeled chickpeas are really creamy. The pureed chickpeas can be processed into delicious hummus with tahini, lime, cumin, chili, and olive oil. They are also great as a salad topping mixed with herbs such as coriander or parsley. And if you want to make a vegan burger patty, you can mix pureed chickpeas with white beans, season, and then fry.
