How to cook chickpeas
You will find easy instructions for ‘How to cook chickpeas’ below.
I love chickpeas and use them often in my recipes. You know
chickpeas are a
good source protein, calcium, iron and fibers. They contain less sodium
(salt) too.
But you cannot use chickpeas as and when you want unless you plan in
advance. That is, you need to this
Preparation before using chickpeas:
- Soaking time - 10 to 20 hours depending on the
variety of chickpea you are using. Soaking them overnight is better.
1. Boil for 1-2 hours, depending on the type of
chickpea and if
you
want to cook them very soft or just cooked right. Or
2. Cook in pressure cooker for 10-20
minutes.
Of course you can buy soaked and precooked chickpeas or the canned
chickpeas to use them in your recipes.
You can buy chickpeas - 1. Precooked. 2. Canned. 3. Dried
chickpeas
But the cooking chickpeas is sch a simple process that I like to do
it myself. Even if the process is long. So I prefer to take the third
option of buying the dried chickpeas. The process of soaking and
cooking chickpeas is so simple that it
doesn’t seem like ‘work’ at all.
I use chickpeas at least once a week so what I do once every week is:
My Preparation:
- wash 1 cup dried chickpeas and put in
a bowl.
- Add 2 1/2 to 3 cups water. Put the
bowl in
the fridge. They continue to soak there for a day or two till I am
ready to
cook them. They can remain in the fridge for 3-4 days even if I don’t
use them immedietly.
- Sometimes I cook them when I have time and put
them back in the fridge
till I am ready to make – chickpea
curry(chana masala) or fried
chickpeas.
- If I want them cooked soft for chickpea curry,
I put them in the
pressure cooker. If I want them cooked just right for fried chickpeas,
I boil them.
Cooking chickpeas in a pot:- use the water the chickpeas were soaked in + add 1 or 2
cups water. It will take about 30- 40 minutes from the time water
starts boiling.
Cooking chickpeas in the pressure cooker :- Place the chickpeas in the cooker along with
the water they are soaked in. Add more water if needed. After the pressure has reached
highest, reduce the flame and keep to sim for 10 minutes. Switch off
the stove and let cool.
Some people
add baking soda to cook chickpeas soft but I think it changes the
taste. So I do not like to add soda when I cook chickpeas.
When your chickpeas are ready, use them as you wish in salads or curries or as snacks.
I am sure you will find these 'how to cook chickpeas' instructions simple and easy.
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