How to cook chickpeas quickly and easily

Chickpeas are one of the legumes that have complete proteins, That is, they contain all the essential amino acids in good quantities, and are therefore considered a good source of protein.

But not only that, they are also rich in fiber, copper, folic acid, manganese, calcium, iron, polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic and linolenic), antioxidants (selenium, beta-carotenes) and other interesting nutrients such as choline and isoflavones. When it comes to cooking them, some doubts arise. There are many exquisite recipes with chickpeas. In this article I will try to summarize the best tricks for choosing, boiling and cooking chickpeas.

Soaking and cooking chickpeas and other legumes eliminates many undesirable attributes, such as hardness, dry legume flavor, or phytates, enzyme inhibitors and some oligosaccharides that cause gas. To get rid of these compounds that do not interest us, it is important:

Soak them in plenty of water.
Throw away the soaking water.
Cook in plenty of water until well done.
Discard the cooking water. In some cases, for example when we make everything together in the pot (pots, stews, pots, etc.), we do not remove the cooking water, but it is not a problem either, because we have already soaked and cooked them, which is the most important thing.

To soften them you can also add a little baking soda.

How long should you soak chickpeas?

The most common thing is to cook them before sautéing, browning, roasting, mashing them or eating them directly. In order to consume them we need to treat them first, since we buy them dried and they are too hard to eat.

First we have to let them soak 8 to 10 hours in plenty of water so that they are hydrated and softened and reduce the cooking time.
Afterwards, it is recommended cook them in a pressure cooker or pressure cooker, because you will have them ready in 20-25 minutes compared to the hour and a half – two hours that it can take in a normal pot.

Homemade «tricks» like «scare the legumes» All they do is prolong the cooking time and make us work harder, They have no impact on legumes beyond cutting off cooking and having to restart it, with the consequent energy expenditure.

If you live in an area with hard or very hard water (such as in the Valencian Community and Catalonia), add a little baking soda to the soaking water (approximately 1 gram per liter of water). This way your chickpeas will soften sooner and better.

You can also add that same amount of baking soda to the cooking water to reduce the time a little more (20 minutes). If you live in areas with soft or very soft water (Madrid, for example), it is not necessary that you do this, in fact your chickpeas can open and skin if you do.

Which chickpeas are best?

The most common way we buy chickpeas is dried. They come in packages of 250 g to 2 kg and are very well priced because they double in size when soaked and cooked. we can find different varieties, that will give us a lot of play depending on what we want to prepare. Potted chickpeas do not usually specify the variety used, although we can get an idea from their appearance.

1. Pedrosillano chickpea or Pedrosillo chickpea

It is smaller and rounder in size and orange in color. Its name is due to its origin of production (Pedrosillo el Ralo, Salamanca).

It has a intense flavor, It retains its shape very well and is more complete than other varieties.
Has a firmer texture although inside it is also creamy.
It is great for anything where we want the shape and texture of the chickpeas to be noticeable. For example for stews and stews, but also to do croutons (roasted chickpeas) and salads.

2. What is the Fuentesúco chickpea like?

The Fuentesaúco chickpea is also as much a variety as a designation of origin (several municipalities of Zamora). It is also called «garbanza» or «Castilian chickpea».

They are chickpeas medium size, Pale orange-yellow color and a little wrinkled, with a visible beak.
They absorb a lot of water in soaking and cooking and They are very tender and creamy.
They are ideal when we want a very creamy texture, for example for curries, creams, sauces, pates, purees, etc.
They are very good option to prepare hummus because they beat quickly and there are no pieces left. It is hardly necessary to add additional liquid for consistency.

3. What is the Andalusian veiny chickpea like?

The Andalusian venous chickpea is grown mainly in Granada, it is medium-large in size, orange-yellow, with some grooves and a beak.

It has a intense flavor but it is creamy, so it looks great on everything.
You can toast them to the pan once cooked, you can Use in all types of stews and stews, as well as in stir-fries and salads. Also of course in pâtés and creams.

4. What is milky chickpea?

The milky white chickpea It is usually the big, white one that we find in any store. It is also called «Castilian».

It is soft and very creamy. If we cook it a little more, the skins come off easily, which is an advantage for those who do not like whole legumes.
You can use it for anything, that will be great. For pâtés and creams such as hummus It is the best variety because they are whipped quickly, it is easy to avoid chunks, they have a very creamy texture and their flavor does not predominate so much over the other ingredients.

and there is more varieties, such as Italica, Krema, Amparo, Cucharero, Duratón… although they are usually cultivated by a minority.

How to cook jarred chickpeas

The liquid they come in is edible, of course, in fact used to make vegan meringue (aquafaba), but since it is quite viscous, we are not interested when we want the chickpeas to be loose, for example when we sauté them or eat them in salads.
when you do hummus (here I leave you several original hummus recipes) you can put this liquid instead of water or other liquids and you will see that you have a much creamier and fluffier pâté.
Jarred chickpeas are very good because they are a quick and economical solution for when we don’t have time or we don’t have a pressure cooker, but they are more expensive than dried ones and, once opened, You have to keep them in the refrigerator for a maximum of 3 days, because they get bad.

How to sprout chickpeas

Chickpeas can be consumed raw, but since they are dry seeds it is impossible. By soaking in water they soften and absorb water, but it is not enough, so If we want to consume raw chickpeas we have to germinate them.

First we soak them for 8-10 hours in water.
Then we drain them and proceed as with other seeds and legumes.
They will take 6-8 days to sprout and that the seed (the chickpea itself) is tender enough to consume.

Sprouted chickpeas are a good addition to your salads and fresh dishes, although you can also cook with them.

How to freeze chickpeas

If you want to always have chickpeas on hand, you can freeze them. Cook a good amount (whatever fits in your pot), drain them well and cool them under running water.

Dry them a little with a cloth or kitchen paper and put them in freezer bags. Put them in the freezer.
After 6-8 hours you can Move them to prevent them from sticking together.
frozen chickpeas They can be added directly to broths, soups, stews, and stews. and things like that that are going to be cooking for a while. They can also be defrosted by leaving them in a closed container in the refrigerator or by submerging them in boiling water for a few minutes.

You can also freeze chickpeas just soaked if you are one of those people who forget to soak legumes.

When you remember, Soak double or triple of what you want to cook.
After the 8-10 hours of soaking, Throw away the water, drain them well, dry them with a cloth or kitchen paper and put them in freezer bags or containers.
This way, every time you want to make chickpeas and you forget to soak them, You have them already soaked and ready to put in the pot. with water without the need to defrost.