How to cook Chickpeas

Fried Chickpeas are a more nutritious snack than potato chips or many other fried snacks. Chickpeas are more healthy and tasty too. You can use chickpeas in many recipes but this is one of the easiest.

If you love chickpeas and How to cook chickpeas in a different way? is your question, you may find this helpful.

The stir fried or the sautéed chickpea recipe is made in India, especially in the southern states of india. During the 10 day dasara festival or any other festival this sauteed chickpea dish is made and offered to the as 'Naivedya' to the deity and then distributed to the devotees as prasad. It is called 'ghugari' (karnataka) or 'sundal' (tamil). It is great as a snack too.

You will find here recipes for stir-fried-chickpeas and deep fried-chickpeas. Choose the one you want to as both are very tasty. Or better still, try both and make them both once in a while.

For both the recipes given below, prepare the chickpeas as given below and then follow the recipes given. You can use canned chick peas or dry chickpeas for this recipe.

If using dry chickpeas, Soak the chickpeas overnight or for 7-8 hours. Boil in water for about 20 minutes or till just done.

If using canned chickpeas, drain water and use.

I am using here white chickpeas - Garbanzo beans - Kabuli chana.

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How to make Stir Fried or sauteed Chickpeas

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Ingredients:

Cooked Chickpeas - 1 cup

Vegetable oil - 1 tbsp

salt - 1 1/2 tsp or to taste

Black Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chili powder(optional) - 1/4 tsp

sugar(optional) - 1/4 tsp

Lime juice - 2 tsp

Coriander (Cilantro) leaves - 1 tbsp chopped

Fresh grated coconut (optional) - 2 tbsp

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a pan. Keep heat low. Add chickpeas. stir.
2. Add all the other ingredients except lime juice.
3. Cook for 5 minutes while stirring.
4. Add lime juice, chopped cilantro and mix well.

Serve hot or cold. You can refrigerate and use for 3-4 days. It is good to eat at a snack or as a side dish for any meal.

You may add desicated coconut instead of fresh grated coconut. Traditionally, small coconut pieces are added to sundal or ghugari.

You can also make ghugari with other lentil varieties such as chana dal, whole mung beans or split mung dal, brown chickpeas or black eyed beans. The soaking time will differ for all types of lentils, it will be less than chickpeas. It can also be made with peanuts.

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How to make Fried Chickpeas

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Ingredients:

Cooked Chickpeas - 1 cup

Vegetable oil - 1 cup for frying.

salt - 1 1/2 tsp or to taste

Black Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chili powder(optional) - 1/4 tsp

Lime juice - 2 tsp

sugar(optional) - 1/4 tsp

Preparation

Spread drained chickpeas on a cloth for drying for an hour or so and then use as given below.

1. Heat oil in a pan. Reduce heat. Add 1/2 cup drained chickpeas.
2. Fry till just done. For about 4-5 minutes.
3. Remove and Drain well. Fry the remaining chickpeas in the same way.
4. Sprinkle salt and spice powders and mix well.
5. Add lime juice and cilantro just before serving. Mix well.

Serve hot or cold. You can store and use these fried chickpeas for more than a week. Generally it gets eaten fast. It is good to eat at a snack or as a side dish for any meal.

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