How to Prepare Dried Chickpeas
How to prepare chickpeas
All you need is a large bowl and water. Simply leave the chickpeas in deep water for about 8 to 12 hours – overnight or doing it in the morning is easiest. You can add a pinch of bicarbonate of soda if you want them to get really soft but it’s not necessary.
They will swell up and after a quick draining and rinsing are ready to go in a pan covered with fresh water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about an hour.
Start testing after about 50 minutes to see if they are to your liking – softer makes silky humus but for some recipes like a curry you might fancy them with a bit more bite. If you have used bicarbonate of soda they could take less time to completely soften. My test batch took 45 minutes with bicarb.
That is all there is to it!
Is it too much work?
If you are thinking you don’t want to be “cooking” for over a day for one dish, remember it will only take you a minute to get a bowl, put chickpeas in and fill the bowl from the cold tap. That’s you done. The next day (or at dinner time if you put then to soak in the morning) you only need to put them on to simmer in fresh water and they can just sit on the hob while you cook the rest of the food.
Bulk Cooking
Chickpeas will keep covered in the fridge for three days but put them in the freezer (patting them dry with kitchen roll first) and they will be ready to go into action for months.
The hands-on work of chickpeas is absolutely minimal but the reward is maximum!
Your plump chickpeas can be put in a tasty curry or falafel, added to a salad, roasted as a snack or get your processor out, whizz them with crushed garlic, lemon juice, tahini and olive oil for the best hummus you ever tasted!
Fiona
PLEASE WATCH VIDEO BELOW TO SHOW YOU HOW TO PREPARE DRIED CHICKPEAS
