What kind of product is chickpeas and how to cook it correctly?

Nut is one of the oldest cultures that grow on our planet. However, despite this to the inhabitants of Russia, he became known relatively recently. This bean plant is considered a symbol of the Oriental cuisine, where it is used to prepare delicious national dishes.

Characteristics

Chickpeas, or turkish peas, or mutton peas, is an annual plant with erect stalkand with odd-numbered leaves. Its height can be from 0.2 to 0.7 m. The beans are small, they are short, the shape is swollen, in each from 1 to 4 seeds.



As you can see on the photo, the surface of the chickpea is tubercular, rough, with its appearance this pea resembles the head of a ram. The diameter of one seed is within 0.5-1.5 cm. Color from light yellow to dark. Depending on the variety, a thousand seeds can weigh about 150-300 g.

However, chick-pea is characterized by one inconvenience - it takes quite a long time to cook it. Firstly, the dried grains are soaked for several hours in water, and then prepared for a long time. In more detail about how and how much we cook, we'll talk just below. Here, I just want to mention that canned can be used instead of the dried product. By their taste, they are almost the same, plus the entire use of the latter allows you to save a considerable amount of time.
Those who first encounter chickpeas are interested in what it tastes like. Turkish peas do not look like ordinary peas, beans, soybeans, or other kinds of legumes. Its taste can be called almost neutral - it has no pronounced notes, there is only a small nutty shade. If you cook it without any spices, then its taste will be a bit like mashed potatoes. And it is this flavorlessness that makes chickpeas a universal product - when used in cooking it is enough to change only a set of spices and as a result you can get absolutely different dishes. From turkish peas cook everything: soups, salads, casseroles, sauces, snacks and desserts.

Difference from peas

Looking at chickpeas, some people have one more question: how does it differ from peas. Both belong to the family of legumes and in general these plants are quite similar. But in fact, the difference is significant. Let us consider the main differences:

Differences	Nut	Peas
Form beans	Round and short	Long
Color seeds	often yellow, rarely dark	Green
Taste seeds	Neutral with nutty flavor	Sweet
Food value( fats)	4,32 g	2 g
Usage in cooking	Middle East, India, Mediterranean	Europe, America
Preferred conditions	Warm climate	Temperate climate

As you can see, the peas and chickpeas are in many ways different, just like the dishes in which they can be used.

Composition

Nut has a high nutritional value and a rich composition.

• It contains a rather large portion of carbohydrates, valuable fats and, of course, high-quality proteins.
  

  Note! In the seeds of chickpea contains about 30% protein, the quality of which is very close to the egg, and the proportion of carbohydrates is about 55%!

• In addition, it is rich in mineral substances, such as calcium, magnesium, selenium, manganese, copper, zinc, sodium and iodine. Their portion is about 3-4%.
• The chick pea also includes vitamins, among which A, beta-carotene, B1, PP and K.
• Turkish peas are superior to other legumes in the content of essential amino acids - tryptophan and methionine.
• Nut is a source of dietary fiber - 9.9 g per 100 g of product.

Caloric value of chickpea is 364 kcal per 100 g of product.

In general, chickpea is a fairly nutritious product, and therefore it is quite capable of replacing meat not only during fasting, but also in a vegetarian menu. In addition, such a diet can provide prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Exposure to the body

Nut has a low glycemic index - 35, which allows it to be used in most diets. In other words, the composition of this product includes only useful carbohydrates, which slowly release energy, do not lead to sharp jumps in blood sugar and give a feeling of satiety for a long time. Thus, breakfast with chickpeas is an ideal option.

Thanks to a large amount of fiber, the Turkish pea is able to "care" for our digestive system. Young seeds of this plant have a beneficial effect on the whole gastrointestinal tract and contribute to the health of the intestinal microflora. Dietary fiber binds and removes toxins from the body, maintains a normal level of cholesterol and helps regulate weight.

And on this useful properties of chickpeas do not end. In folk medicine, this product is often used to treat and prevent cataracts and glaucoma. As is known, the transparency of the lens is affected by metabolic processes occurring in the body. And if they are violated, slagging of the intestine, liver occurs and the blood formula becomes worse. Against this background, clouding of the lens develops. Nut helps to remove slags and restores the normal circulation of watery moisture( jelly-like intraocular fluid), thus preventing the development of complex eye diseases.

Iron, which is part of the chickpea, provides the production of hemoglobin and prevents anemia. This property of turkey peas is especially useful for women during pregnancy and lactation, as it is at this time that the body consumes the greatest amount of mineral salts of this substance.

Low-fat proteins and valuable amino acids are responsible for the regeneration of cells, build-up of muscle mass, and also promote the production of antibodies and enzymes. And due to the high concentration of manganese in this product, the work of the nervous system comes to normal and immunity is strengthened.

Important! When introducing Turkish peas into your diet, it should be remembered that it is a so-called heavy product that is slowly digested and can provoke fermentation in the intestine. For this reason, in some cases, chickpeas will not bring so much benefit, as much harm. It is highly not recommended for ulcers, constipation, a tendency to digestive disorders, as well as inflammation of the bladder and a worsening of blood circulation!

In order for the chickpeas to show its useful properties in the quality of the cleanser, apply it as follows:

• add the chickpeas into the ceramic dishes, fill with water and leave for 8-12 hours at room temperature;
• the next morning we pass it through a fine grinder screen twice;
• use the resulting chickpeas in raw form in small portions( 1 teaspoonful) three times a day for a week.

After seven days of reception, take a break for a week. The full course of cleansing takes 3 months.

Note! Crushed chickpeas can be added to salads, soups and other dishes!

Cooking rules

Absolutely all recipes with the participation of Turkish peas begin with its cooking. And so to begin with it is necessary to understand how to cook chickpeas.

So, if you decide to use dried turkey peas, then, first of all, it should be soaked. Pour it into a saucepan and pour water, the level of which should be above the chickpeas by about two fingers. Add a pinch of salt and a half teaspoon of soda( about 3 liters of water).Thanks to this method, the shell of turkey peas is softened and, as a result, the cooking time is shortened. Cover the lid and leave it at room temperature for 8-12 hours.

Tip! It is most convenient to soak the chickpeas in the evening and leave it in the water for the night!

In the morning we drain all the liquid, wash our peas in several waters and fill it with clean water. We put the saucepan on fire and with a strong supply of gas bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook chick until cooked. How much to cook the chickpeas after soaking? This can take from 40 minutes to 1.5 hours. It is desirable to add salt at the very end. Finished grains will become rather soft, but at the same time they will retain their original shape.

Further from chickpea, as a rule, make a paste. To do this, drain the remaining water and transfer the ready-made Turkish pea into the blender bowl. If desired, you can add a small amount of butter, cream or milk to it. All grind to homogeneity.

Recommendation! If you expect to use a paste made of chickpeas for cooking hummus or something like that, then cook it preferably longer, so that the mashed potatoes turn out to be more gentle and homogeneous!

In the multi-machine

When considering the rules for the preparation of chickpeas, it should be noted that it is quite possible to weld it in a multivark. This useful and very convenient device is today in almost every kitchen, and it makes the cooking process much easier.

The cooking rules are simple:

• soak the chickpeas for the night with the above method;
• next morning we wash it and add it to the bowl of the multivark;
• is filled with fresh water - its level should be above the pea level by 3 cm;
• close the lid of the multivarker and set it to "Quenching", "Soup" or "Pilaf" mode;
• an hour later check the readiness and, if necessary, cook for about half an hour.

Golden gruel from chick pea is very tasty and useful, it is quite capable of serving as a main dish, and served as a garnish.

The best recipes of

The most famous dishes from chickpeas are hummus and falafel. Prepare them from pea paste with the addition of spices, spices and herbs. In addition, the Turkish peas can be fried, having an excellent snack, or cook deep-fried.

As you can see, there are lots of options and absolutely all recipes for cooking chickpeas are very simple and their performance will be clear to any hostess. Today we suggest that you consider some of them. It is possible that among them you can choose something for yourself.

Snack Paste

To prepare spicy snacks from chickpea you will need:

• 430 g of canned Turkish pea or 350-400 g of boiled;
• 6-7 pitted olives;
• half of the head of the red onion;
• a small bunch of parsley;
• half a lemon;
• salt, pepper, olive oil.

In the container we put boiled or canned chickpeas, finely chopped greens, finely chopped onions, chopped olives, squeezing out half a lemon juice. We take a fork or tolkushku and a little mash mass. To taste, add salt and pepper, pour in the olive oil and mix.

Note! A ready-made snack should not have an absolutely homogeneous consistency, it may contain pieces of chickpeas and other ingredients. But at the same time the mass should be easy to cling!

Turkish peas fried with spices

To prepare roast chickpea you will need:

• 1 can of canned Turkish pea or 300-350 g of boiled;
• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika;
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper;
• 3 tablespoons olive oil;Peel the lime
• ;
• salt( preferably sea).

Drain liquid from canned chickpeas and lay out a thin layer on a paper towel. While it dries, we combine in a large capacity cayenne pepper with paprika. We put it aside.

In a frying pan pour olive oil, heat it over medium heat and fry chickpeas, preferably for two or three sets. When the peas turn brown, we spread it on the towel. After a few minutes, when the excess oil leaves, we put it into a bowl with paprika and pepper, salt, sprinkle with lime.

Tazhin

To prepare chickpeas with vegetables you will need:

• 1 can of canned Turkish pea or 300-350 g of boiled;
• 1 can( 410 g) of canned tomatoes;
• 1 medium eggplant;
• 1 red onion;
• 2 Bulgarian peppers;
• 4 cloves of garlic;
• 10 g of acute chili paste;
• a couple tablespoons olive oil;
• a couple of centimeters of ginger root;
• half a liter of vegetable broth;
• cinnamon stick;
• a tablespoon of tomato paste;
• a teaspoon of sugar;
• is a small bunch of parsley.

Put a thick wall pan on the fire and pour in the oil. Warming up. Eggplant cut into a cube and fry in oil for five minutes. Then add the finely chopped onions and chopped Bulgarian peppers, fry for about five minutes. We put chili-paste, crushed ginger on the grater and cook another two minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, mix and cover with a lid. We extinguish about a quarter of an hour.