Chickpeas

Also known as the garbanzo bean, the chick-pea is a round, light brown bean shaped somewhat like a small hazelnut. Used extensively in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, it has a firm texture and faintly nutty flavour that works well in a range of dishes.

In France, chick peas are stewed in stock and herbs to make pois chiches en estouffade (chick pea stew), whereas in Italy they may be used to make chickpea soup, mixed into pasta, or drizzled with oil and eaten as a salad. Whilst the Portuguese combine them with spinach to be eaten with dried salt (bacalhau), their neighbours in Spain use garbanzos to make olla podrida, a highly seasoned meat and vegetable stew. In Israel, chick-peas are used to make falafel, a spicy fritter served with tahini sauce. They are also added to couscous or mixed with beef and vegetables to make a rich and filling dish known as daphna or deene. In the Middle East, chickpeas are ground and mixed with tahini, lemon and garlic to make the tasty dip, hummus.

Chickpeas are an important crop in India, where they are known as channa. Used whole, they may be cooked with garlic and chillies and tossed in spices to make chickpea curries such as channa bhatura or pindi channa. They may also be roasted (when they are known as channa roti) and either added to salads or simply enjoyed as a snack. When dried, they may be finely milled to produce garam flour, a gluten-free flour much used in Indian cuisine.

Chickpeas are usually sold dried or canned. Whilst canned chickpeas may be used straightaway, dried chickpeas must be soaked overnight and then simmered gently for 5 to 6 hours before they become tender enough to use.