Boiled chickpeas. How to cook chickpeas: different recipes

These dishes can be prepared with either canned or dry chickpeas. In the first case, cooking takes less time, but home-boiled chickpeas are more aromatic and tasty.

If a recipe calls for soaked chickpeas, then soak dry chickpeas in cold water overnight. If you need boiled chickpeas, then after soaking they need to be drained, rinsed, filled with clean water and simmered over low heat for 1.5–2 hours.

Please note: after soaking, chickpeas approximately double in size. So the weight of dry chickpeas should be half the specified amount of soaked or boiled chickpeas.

Ingredients

• 8 chicken thighs;
• salt - to taste;
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil;
• 1 onion;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander;
• 400 g tomato pulp;
• 150 g soaked chickpeas;
• 80 g dried apricots;
• 120 ml or water;
• 1 tablespoon honey.

Preparation

Cut the chicken thighs in half and rub with spices on all sides. Heat a little oil over medium heat in a deep frying pan or casserole dish. Fry the chicken for a few minutes on each side until golden brown. Then transfer to a plate.

Pour the remaining oil into the pan. Add the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chopped garlic and spices and fry for another minute for aroma. Then add the tomato pulp, chickpeas, dried apricots cut in half, broth or water and honey. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and add fried chicken.

Cover with a lid and place in an oven preheated to 180°C for 45 minutes. The chicken should become soft. Serve with couscous, rice or other side dish of your choice.

Ingredients

• 500 g pork pulp;
• 1 red onion;
• 2 celery stalks;
• 3 carrots;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger;
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin;
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon;
• ½ teaspoon turmeric;
• salt - to taste;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• 400 g chopped tomatoes in their own juice;
• 250 ml chicken broth or water;
• 150 g soaked chickpeas;
• 2 tablespoons raisins.

Preparation

Heat half the oil in a frying pan over high heat. Cut the pork into large cubes and fry for 3-4 minutes, turning occasionally, until the meat is browned on all sides. Transfer pork to a large roasting dish.

Cut the onion into thin half rings, the celery into small cubes, and the carrots into thin slices. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and add the vegetables there. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 minutes.

Add ginger and spices, stir and fry for another minute. Then add the tomatoes, broth or water, chickpeas and raisins and bring to a boil.

Pour the vegetable sauce over the pork, close the lid and bake in the oven at 180°C for 1.5 hours until the meat is tender. Serve the stew with boiled vegetables, couscous or other side dish of your choice.

Ingredients

• 200 g soaked chickpeas;
• 2 chicken drumsticks;
• 1 onion;
• 1 carrot;
• 1 stalk of celery;
• ½ red bell pepper;
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil;
• several sprigs of parsley;
• salt - to taste;

Preparation

Rinse the chickpeas, place in a saucepan and fill with clean water. Cook for half an hour over low heat. Then add the chicken to the chickpeas and cook for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the onion into half rings and the remaining vegetables into cubes. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onions and carrots. Add the celery and cook for a couple of minutes. Then add the pepper to the vegetables and fry for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the drumsticks from the pan, separate the meat from the bones, roughly chop and place back. Add the roasted vegetables to the broth and bring the soup to a boil. Add chopped parsley, spices and, if necessary, a little water. Stir, remove from heat, cover and leave for another 15 minutes.

You will find a few more recipes for chickpea soups in this article:

Ingredients

• 1 red onion;
• 2 green chilies;
• 1 teaspoon cumin;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander;
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric;
• 1 small head of cauliflower;
• 400 g cherry tomatoes;
• 120 ml water;
• 250 g boiled or canned chickpeas;
• 200 g green beans;
• several sprigs of cilantro;
• salt - to taste;
• ground black pepper - to taste.

Preparation

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion cut into half rings and fry until golden brown. Cut the chiles in half, remove the seeds and chop finely. Lightly grind the cumin in a mortar. Add chili, cumin, finely chopped garlic, coriander and turmeric to the onion. Stir and cook for another minute.

Cut the cauliflower into florets. Place halved tomatoes and cauliflower in a frying pan and add water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook covered for about 6 minutes. Add chickpeas and green beans and simmer, covered, for about 3 minutes.

Add chopped herbs, salt and pepper and stir. Serve the curry with rice or other side dish of your choice.

Ingredients

• 400 g salmon fillet without skin and bones;
• 2 tablespoons olive oil;
• salt - to taste;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• 8 eggs;
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin;
• 1 clove of garlic;
• 2 lemons;
• 200 g boiled or canned chickpeas;
• 120 g ricotta;
• a few sprigs of cilantro.

Preparation

Brush the salmon fillets with a tablespoon of oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the fish in a preheated frying pan and fry over high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side. The salmon should not be completely cooked through. Place the fish on a plate and wipe the pan with a paper towel.

In a bowl, beat the eggs, add cumin, salt, pepper, chopped garlic and grated zest of two lemons and mix well. Then add the drained chickpeas, crumbled ricotta and cilantro, reserving a couple of sprigs for garnish, and stir lightly.

Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over high heat and brush the bottom and sides with it. Pour in the egg mixture and cook over moderate heat for about 10 minutes. Cut the fish into small pieces and place on the frittata.

Place the pan in an oven preheated to 180°C for a few minutes. Before serving, sprinkle the frittata with cilantro leaves.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil;
• 1 onion;
• 250 g minced beef;
• salt - to taste;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice;
• 1 clove of garlic;
• 150 g boiled or canned chickpeas;
• ½ bunch of parsley;
• 200 g rice;
• ½ teaspoon paprika;
• 3 tablespoons of tomato paste;
• 650 ml water;
• 6 large bell peppers.

Preparation

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the finely chopped onion until golden brown. Add the meat to the onions and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, until browned. Add seasonings, chopped garlic and chickpeas without liquid and fry for a few more minutes.

Then add chopped parsley, rice, previously soaked in water for 10-15 minutes, paprika and tomato paste and mix well. Pour in 500 ml of water and cook until the amount of liquid is reduced by half. Reduce heat, cover and cook for another 15–20 minutes.

Cut off the tops of the peppers, remove the seeds and stuff the vegetables with the filling. Pour the remaining water into a deep baking dish and place the peppers there, stuffing side up. Cover the dish with foil and place in an oven preheated to 180°C for 20–30 minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 onions;
• 800 g lamb pulp;
• 5–6 carrots;
• 1 head of garlic;
• 1 red chili pepper;
• 200 g soaked chickpeas;
• salt - to taste;
• 600 g brown rice;
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin.

Preparation

Cut the onion into rings. In a deep frying pan with thick walls or in a cauldron, heat the oil over high heat and fry the onion until dark golden brown. Add the meat, cut into large cubes, to the onion. Fry for about 8 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally.

Cut the carrots into small thick strips, add to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes. Then add water until it completely covers the lamb. Peel the garlic. Add whole garlic and chilies to the pan.

Add chickpeas and salt. It is better to put more of it, since the rice will absorb some of the salt. Add a little more water to cover the ingredients and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic and pepper, add the rice, previously soaked in water for half an hour, and cook until the water has evaporated.

Stir garlic and chili into rice and sprinkle with cumin. Cook covered over low heat for another 30 minutes. Gently stir the pilaf before serving.

Ingredients

• 1 onion;
• a few tablespoons of vegetable oil;
• 200 g boiled chickpeas;
• salt - to taste;
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper;
• 1 teaspoon dried basil;
• ½ bunch of parsley;
• ½ bunch of dill;
• 1 egg;
• 50–70 g breadcrumbs.

Preparation

Cut the onion into small cubes and fry in hot oil until golden brown. Grind the chickpeas in a blender until smooth. Mix it with onion, spices, chopped herbs and egg. You can add other spices to your taste.

Form cutlets from the resulting mass and roll in breadcrumbs on both sides. Fry the cutlets in hot oil for a few minutes on both sides, turning occasionally, until they are golden brown.

Ingredients

• ½ small red onion;
• 1 red bell pepper;
• 1 green bell pepper;
• 1 yellow bell pepper;
• 1 cucumber;
• 100 g feta cheese;
• 1 bunch of parsley;
• 3 tablespoons olive oil;
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano;
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper;
• salt - to taste.

Preparation

Cut the onion into small cubes and cover with cold water. This will remove excess bitterness. Dice the remaining vegetables and chop the parsley. Mix chickpeas with pepper, cucumber, herbs and crumbled feta.

For the dressing, mix oil, vinegar, chopped garlic and spices. Add onion, dressing to the main ingredients and mix the salad well. Anna_Shepulova/Depositphotos.com

Ingredients

• 300 g boiled or canned chickpeas;
• 4 cloves of garlic;
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin;
• salt - to taste;
• ½ bunch of parsley;
• 2 lemons;
• 2–4 tablespoons flour;
• 50–70 g breadcrumbs;
• vegetable oil - for frying;
• 200 g low-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt;
• 1 small cucumber;
• several sprigs of dill;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• 2–4 pitas;
• several lettuce leaves;
• 1–2 tomatoes;
• 1 red onion.

Preparation

Place the chickpeas, 3 cloves of garlic, cumin, salt, chopped parsley and the zest of one lemon in a blender and puree. You should end up with fine crumbs. Add flour to this mixture and mix well.

Make balls 3–5 cm in diameter and roll them in breadcrumbs. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan. There should be enough oil so that the chickpea balls can float in it. Place them in hot oil and fry until golden brown on all sides. Place the falafel on a paper towel to drain the grease.

For the sauce, mix sour cream or yogurt, chopped garlic clove, finely grated cucumber, chopped dill, salt, pepper and remaining lemon zest. Cut each pita in half and open. Lubricate them inside with sauce, put lettuce leaves, tomato slices, onion rings and a few falafels inside.

Ingredients

• 100 g peanuts or other nuts;
• 4 dried dates;
• 1 tablespoon cocoa;
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon;
• 200 g boiled chickpeas;
• 1 tablespoon honey.

Preparation

Grind nuts, dates, cocoa and cinnamon in a blender. Add chickpeas in portions and beat until smooth. If the dish turns out to be a bit dry, pour in a little of the broth in which the chickpeas were cooked. Then add honey and mix well.

Store hummus in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It can be used as a cream for a cake or for making sweet sandwiches. You can also dip fruits in it.

Ingredients

• 450 g boiled or canned chickpeas;
• 150 g powdered sugar + 2 teaspoons;
• 1 teaspoon baking powder;
• 2 ½ teaspoons cinnamon;
• 1 orange;
• a little vegetable oil.

Preparation

Drain the chickpeas and rub them between your palms to remove the skin. If the chickpeas are boiled, rinse them with cold water to avoid scalding. Grind the chickpeas in a blender until smooth.

Mix chickpea puree with beaten eggs, 150 g of powdered sugar, baking powder, 2 tablespoons of cinnamon, and grated zest and juice of a whole orange. Grease a baking dish with oil and place the dough into it.

Bake at 180°C for an hour. After baking, open the oven and leave the cake in there for another 10 minutes. Mix the remaining powdered sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle the mixture over the cake before serving.

Until now, many housewives do not know how and how long to soak chickpeas before cooking. After all, before he was a rare guest on the table of the Slavs. Our mothers and grandmothers mainly used other legumes for cooking: peas, beans, lentils. Chickpeas were popular in the Middle East. The fashion for proper nutrition has led to the fact that Turkish peas have entered the kitchens of Russians. For those who monitor their health and control their weight, it will be useful to learn how to soak and cook a valuable protein product.

Is it necessary to soak chickpeas before cooking?

Before cooking, chickpeas must be soaked. Even in recipes for oriental dishes, the list of ingredients sometimes directly states “soaked.”

During the soaking process, the beans absorb moisture and swell. Therefore, they require less time to boil. Not 1.5–2 hours, but 30–40 minutes. And the shorter the duration of heat treatment, the more vitamins and microelements are retained in the finished dish.

Unsoaked legumes, after boiling, turn out to be tough on the inside and soft on the outside. They look unsightly in salads and pilaf and are not suitable for making purees.

If chickpeas have been in storage for a long time and have dried out, then when cooked without pre-soaking, they will turn out tough and tasteless.

General rules for soaking

Most housewives know how to soak cereals overnight: buckwheat, rice, pearl barley. But in the case of chickpeas, different rules apply. It is not advisable to leave it in water for longer than 5 hours. And there are two reasons for this:

• with prolonged soaking, the structure of vegetable protein changes, so the seeds turn out hard;
• Fermentation processes may begin and the product will become unfit for consumption.

The ideal soaking time is 3-4 hours. The seeds must first be cleaned of debris and washed under running water. You can leave the chickpeas overnight, for 7–8 hours, but then you won’t be able to boil them quickly.

If the apartment is hot, put the beans in the refrigerator.

What kind of water should you soak chickpeas in: cold or hot? Both extremes are harmful, as they lead to changes in the protein structure and product hardness. The water should be at room temperature. It is advisable to use settled, boiled or filtered water.

Chickpeas are poured with water in a ratio of 1:4. When soaked, the seeds almost double in volume. If there is not enough liquid, the beans will remain dry in the center and the cooking time will increase.

If you have hard water in your home or your chickpea seeds are too old, soak the chickpeas in baking soda. It softens the product and speeds up the cooking process. Just add no more than 0.5 teaspoon, otherwise the finished dish will have a specific taste.

How to properly soak chickpeas for pilaf, soup and hummus

The rules described above work if a person is going to eat chickpeas as a main dish or use them as a side dish. What should those who are planning to cook pilaf, soup or hummus do?

How to soak chickpeas for pilaf?

Do I need to pre-soak chickpeas for pilaf? Yes, but the seeds should be a little tough. After all, they are added to the zirvak at the very beginning, and then stewed for 45-60 minutes. If you use soft chickpeas, they will turn into mush during cooking.

There are two options for soaking chickpeas for pilaf.

1. Standard – for 1–2 hours in water at room temperature.
2. For a long time - from 12 hours to a day in cold water. The seeds will be larger than with short-term soaking, but will also have a dense structure. To prevent chickpeas from fermenting, place the container in a cool place (for example, a refrigerator) and change the water every 3-4 hours.

There should be 5–6 times more liquid than seeds. For 1 kg of meat, 700–800 g of rice and 150–200 g of chickpeas are required. You can salt the dish during the cooking process.

How to soak chickpeas for soup?

The time for soaking chickpeas for soup depends on the consistency of the finished dish. If you are going to make a thin soup, soak the seeds for 3-4 hours. Then boil for 40 minutes. Add the prepared chickpeas to the dish 10 minutes before the end of cooking.

To prepare the puree soup, soak the seeds for 4-5 hours in water at room temperature. Then cook for another hour.

How to soak chickpeas for hummus?

Hummus is a popular snack in the Middle East. The main ingredients are chickpea puree, sesame paste, vegetable oil and spices. Hummus is rich in plant proteins and Omega-3 fatty acids, so it is often used in vegetarian diets.

Typically, to prepare this dish, chickpeas are soaked overnight in water at room temperature. But 3–4 hours will be enough. Next, the chickpeas are cooked for 1–1.5 hours over high heat.

Press the boiled peas with your fingers. If it mashes easily into puree, it means it is suitable for making hummus.

How and how much to cook soaked chickpeas

There are differences in cooking chickpeas in a regular saucepan and a slow cooker. The general step is to drain the old water and rinse the seeds.

In a saucepan

Pour clean water into the pan and add the soaked chickpeas. The liquid should cover the seeds by at least 3–4 cm. Bring the water to a boil, remove the foam and turn the heat to medium. Cover the pan with a lid. Boil the chickpeas for 30–40 minutes.

Salting chickpeas is allowed no earlier than 10 minutes before the end of cooking. Otherwise, the seed shell will remain strong.

In a slow cooker

Transfer the soaked and washed peas into the device and fill with water so that it covers them by 2-3 cm. Salt, you can add spices (for example, turmeric, red pepper, suneli hops). Set the multicooker to “Stew” mode. Cooking time – 50–60 minutes.

Can you eat raw beans?

Many fans of a healthy lifestyle are interested in whether it is possible to eat soaked chickpeas without heat treatment. Theoretically, yes, only the seeds will be a bit harsh.

Vegetarians and raw foodists eat sprouted chickpeas. After germination, the calorie content of Turkish pea seeds decreases from 309 to 160 kcal, and the amount of nutrients increases. In particular, sprouted chickpeas contain more antioxidants - elements that slow down the aging process and protect the body from cancer.

The benefit of raw seeds is that they reduce the level of “bad” cholesterol and blood sugar, have a positive effect on the functioning of the heart and digestive system, and normalize metabolism.

How to properly soak chickpea seeds so that they germinate and do not spoil?

1. Rinse thoroughly.
2. Pour the beans with filtered water at room temperature in a ratio of 1:3. Cover the container with a lid, leaving a small hole for air.
3. Wait 3 hours.
4. Drain out the old water. Rinse the seeds and fill them with fresh liquid again, but in a 1:2 ratio.
5. Cover the container with damp gauze. Place in a cool place (maybe in the refrigerator) for 10–12 hours or overnight.
6. Drain the water again and rinse the seeds.

The most healthy chickpeas are considered to be the ones whose sprouts are no longer than 1.5 cm in length. The seeds can be eaten as a separate dish or added to fresh vegetable salads.

In terms of the amount of proteins, amino acids and B vitamins, chickpeas are not inferior to meat. It, like fish, contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. And in terms of fiber content, macro- and microelements, the product will compete with vegetables and fruits. To preserve nutrients and great taste, soak chickpeas properly before cooking. Boil only prepared seeds.

How to cook chickpeas

Not every housewife, passing by a counter with overseas chickpeas, will rush to buy a kilogram or two. But simply because he doesn’t know how to cook chickpeas. They say that you don’t always have time to study new recipes, and it’s better to choose something proven. The Eco-Life website will dispel this myth and tell you in detail how to please your loved ones with an amazing delicacy made from chickpeas, which are unusual for us.

Mediterranean and Asian cuisine is represented by many dishes based on chickpeas. Beans are eaten boiled and fried, served with stewed meat, exceptionally tasty pilaf is prepared, and added to salads. It's less common to see chickpeas cooked in soups.

The most popular Israeli snack, hummus, is also made from chickpeas, pureed. In Arab countries, they serve the dish “falafel” - balls of chickpea puree fried until crisp, and in India, chickpeas are ground into flour, and flatbreads are made from it according to a special recipe. And even alcoholic drinks can be made from chickpeas, just as sake is made from rice in Japan.

How to cook chickpeas

Cooking chickpeas consists of several stages:

Soak

Like any other legume, chickpeas must be soaked in water before the actual cooking process. For one glass of peas you will need at least 4 glasses of ordinary boiled water at room temperature. Soaking lasts up to 12 hours (leave the container with soaked peas overnight). If there is an urgent need to prepare a dish earlier, in principle, you can start after 4 hours - during this time the peas have time to be properly saturated with water.

Sometimes a little soda is added to the water where the chickpeas are soaked (half a teaspoon per glass of chickpeas). This is done in order to soften the beans more. But, it’s true, this method has its drawback - the taste of soda is barely noticeable in the finished dish. If you don't need to puree your chickpeas, you can do without baking soda.

Cooking

Place the soaked chickpeas in a saucepan and add fresh water. On the highest heat, wait for the workpiece to boil and turn off the heat to low. In this position, leave the chickpeas to cook for about 2 hours, without covering the pan with a lid.

No salt is added to the container where the chickpeas are cooked. This is due to the fact that salt does not allow the chickpeas to boil, and the whole process can be significantly delayed. Again, you can use this property of the salt solution for your own purposes - if you need chickpeas for making puree, do not add salt at all, and if you want to get whole, uncooked grains, salt can be added 30 minutes before the end of cooking.

Cleansing

Shelled chickpeas on store shelves are the exception rather than the rule. While peeling the chickpeas is not necessary for most recipes, sometimes it is required to achieve a very tender consistency.

Peel the chickpeas during the cooking process. An hour after the saucepan with chickpeas sits on the fire, drain the hot water, pour cold water over the peas, and manually rub the peas between your palms to remove the husks. Then the water is changed again to fresh water and put on fire for further cooking.

The result is a wonderful side dish, which, after adding spices, can be served or used as an ingredient in some dish. For example, the hummus already mentioned here is obtained by grinding ready-made chickpeas in a blender into a homogeneous mass with lemon juice, garlic and herbs. And if you twist boiled chickpeas with figs and dried apricots, add a little cognac and honey to the mixture, you will get a sweet mass for homemade sweets, which you can simply roll into balls. Those with a sweet tooth will really like it.

Chickpeas in a slow cooker

For those who have transferred the heavy burden of daily cooking onto the shoulders of the latest kitchen multicooker, cooking chickpeas will seem like an interesting experiment with a very tasty result.

Before you start cooking chickpeas in a slow cooker, peas should be soaked as described above. After soaking, chickpeas (350 g) are placed in the bowl of the device, pour water to the volume of peas, add peeled and cut cloves of garlic (1 head), mix everything, and connect the equipment to the power supply, setting the “Pilaf” mode on the panel. After the signal for the end of work is sounded, the chickpeas are laid out on plates, salt, spices, and vegetable oil are added and served.

In fact, everything turns out quite easily, you just need to plan your time correctly so as not to unwittingly speed up the process, risking losing the best taste of chickpeas. The finished dish is perfect for fasting - plant foods, which contain a lot of proteins, are a good substitute for meat. And for vegetarians, this is a real find that will give energy and strength for further existence.

Do you have any favorite chickpea recipes? Share via the comment form!

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Svetlana Frantseva “How to cook chickpeas” especially for the Eco-Life website.