chickpeas

Galtizz

I am about to use dried chickpeas for the first time ever. I don't want to poison us so can anyone help with how to prepare them? I intend to:

1. Bung them in a pot full of cold water (or should this be boiling water?)
2. Leave them overnight (was going to put them in tonight so they'll be ready to cook with tomorrow night, is this too long to leave them?)
3. Boil them for 10 mins (somewhere on here it says to use a pressure cooker but I haven't got one, can I just boil them in a saucepan)????

Do they swell up, like pasta does or do they stay the same size?

As you can see I am a complete novice to dried stuff so sorry if these seem like obvious questions.

maggie1976

Spicy bean and vegetable stew

1 tin cannelini beans, drained (any other tinned beans would be fine, or chickpeas)
2 tins tomatoes
1 small cauliflower chopped into florets
1/2 an aubergine chopped into chunks (fried the other half and had in my bacon sarnie for Saturday lunch!)
1 large onion, quartered
1 large carrot, cut into chunks
2 large potatoes, cut into chunks
handful of mushrooms, quartered or halved (depending on size)
Enough diluted veggie stock to come about 1/4 way up dish
2 garlic cloves, sliced
3 tsp curry powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp paprika
salt
pepper

It bubbled away all day and although it doesn't sound like enough water, all the veggies released their liquid and it ended up with plenty.

We're having it for tea tomorrow with either jackets, rice or mash and I might bung a quorn fillet or two in with it while it's reheating.

Maggie.

filigree_2

Galtizz wrote:

I am about to use dried chickpeas for the first time ever. I don't want to poison us so can anyone help with how to prepare them? I intend to:

Do they swell up, like pasta does or do they stay the same size?

As you can see I am a complete novice to dried stuff so sorry if these seem like obvious questions.

Chickpeas take longer to prepare than most pulses. Soak them in plain cold water for 24 hours if you can, do NOT add salt because it toughens them up. They will swell up quite a lot during soaking, make sure you put them in a generously sized container with plenty of water.

Strain off the soaking water, cover them in fresh water (still no salt) and boil them for 10 minutes, scoop any scum off the surface of the water.

Reduce the heat and simmer them for as long as you have the patience, preferably two hours. Top up with boiling water if they look like boiling dry.

I put my chickpeas in to soak Sunday night, boiled them and simmered them for about 4-5 hours last night so I can make dinner with them tonight. They are still a tad crunchy, I think this batch is getting a bit old so I'm going to ditch them. Old pulses get drier and harder, and take much longer to prepare.

I've come to realise that I don't use pulses often enough to justify buying the dried product. If I spend 75p on dried chickpeas and throw most of them away a year later, it's false economy. I can get a tin for 25p at the Asian supermarket and save myself all the effort!

Curry_Queen

MimiJane wrote:

You can buy Tahini in lots of places now ... Holland & Barratt and other health shops and most major supermarkets.

Horrible tasting stuff on its own, but great with chickpeas

If you can't get tahini you can always use sesame oil instead and omit the olive oil (or even toasted sesame seeds ground in olive oil) but be careful if using the chinese sesame oil as it's very strong

This is my own recipe for hummus and it's yummy with toasted pitta bread

250g chickpeas (drained weight of can)
1tbs water
2tbs lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tbs sesame oil (or tahini)
1tsp ground cumin
1/2tsp tabasco (optional0
2tbs freshly chopped coriander

Bung it all in a blender and whiz to desired consistency ... I prefer mine slightly coarser than most.

tiff

I love houmus! Especially home made, I put it in my kids lunch box with bread sticks.

Sainsburys sell Tahini paste for £1.20 in their specialist section.

Ted_Hutchinson

filigree wrote:

Chickpeas take longer to prepare than most pulses. Soak them in plain cold water for 24 hours if you can, do NOT add salt because it toughens them up. They will swell up quite a lot during soaking, make sure you put them in a generously sized container with plenty of water.

Strain off the soaking water, cover them in fresh water (still no salt) and boil them for 10 minutes, scoop any scum off the surface of the water.

Reduce the heat and simmer them for as long as you have the patience, preferably two hours. Top up with boiling water if they look like boiling dry.

I put my chickpeas in to soak Sunday night, boiled them and simmered them for about 4-5 hours last night so I can make dinner with them tonight. They are still a tad crunchy, I think this batch is getting a bit old so I'm going to ditch them. Old pulses get drier and harder, and take much longer to prepare.

I use a pressure cooker for my chick peas. I agree that overnight soaking is best but when I've forgotten I've got away with bringing them up to the boil, then leaving them for at least an hour in that water. Then draining that water off and cooking them covered in water, in the Pressure Cooker for about 12-15 minutes. If you let the pressure down slowly they will be fine, no crunchy bits, great for hummous.

Trow

Felafel is IMO *the* best way to use chickpeas.

Bung them in a food processors with some chopped onion, a little flour (for binding), spices (whatever you fancy, I usually use a little chilli, cumin and coriander). You can add some other veg if you like, not a lot though.

SHape into fritters and shallow fry or bake (shallow fry is scrummier, baking healthier).

Serve in pittas with salad, sour cream or plain yogurt and hot chilli sauce. Yum!

Galtizz

Filgree, thanks for the info. I'll put them on tomorrow and hope to have them some time next week! I think I'll stop trying to be clever and just buy a tin next time.

Trow, Felafels are what I'm hoping to make, I got the recipe from this months Good Food magazine, I'm glad you said they are nice, they do look good.

winkle1

you could make chickpea curry...

fry an onion in some oil, add a clove of garlic and some fresh ginger. brown.

add a chopped green chilli or chilli powder (how much depends on how spicy you like it)

add half a teaspoon of tumeric powder (if u have it, not really necessary) a bit of salt and pepper to taste, tin of tomatoes and some curry powder.

simmer till tomatoes have reduced.

add (drained) chick peas.

add a mug of water, simmer till cooked.

Penny-Wise_4

I buy dried pulses as they are cheaper (I buy them from an Indian store as they are very cheap).

I soak the whole pack of beans/chickpeas at the same time overnight. The next morning I boil them up for 20 mins rinse them and then freeze them.

This way I actually use them. Before I used to look in my cupboard and see them and think ‘I could have put them in my chilli/curry/etc’. Now I can just pop a few frozen ones in without having to rely on my memory to get them out the night before.

This way they don’t get old and hard and don’t go off and I find that they cook in about half an hour, so don’t take forever.