Recipe Garbanzo beans (Chickpeas)

[DancingLady]

Garbanzo beans were the first bean I ever learned to like and are still my favorite bean. I just love their flavor even when they are just cooked and salted with no other seasoning. They are a great bean for making quick and easy meals because I don't have to think much about seasoning them. I can just cook a big pot and dish up my portion, add a piece of corn bread and vegetables and the meal is complete. If I have a little cheese to put on top I like to do that, but its still good if I don't.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I love chickpeas which is what I know garbanzo as (as well as gram). They are really nutritional and contain mood enhancing chemicals. Chickpeas contain vitamin B1, or thiamine, which promotes brain and nervous system health, and tryptophan, which is an amino acid that can raise your serotonin levels. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is essential in regulating your moods, sleep, and appetite.

I much prefer the done from the dotted bean than the canned versions though and love the brown chickpea (channa kala). I use a lot of chickpea flour or gram flour in my recipes.

The wiki article has a good amount of information about chickpeas in it.
Www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chickpea

 

[lizzief79]

I did not know this alternative name to chickpeas, so I have learned something new today. I recently made a chickpea curryt that was nice and I have also experimented at making hummus. However, it is not an ingredient I use on a regular basis.

 

[DancingLady]

I made a "bread" out of garbanzo bean flour some time ago. It tasted pretty good and did work as a substitute for bread, sort of, but it was really, really heavy and I wasn't able to eat much else. I like that it is so healthy, but I can't find very many good uses for the flour I got other than making that bread like dish. I suppose that is what I will just use it for, next time I need something that can kind of function as a hamburger bun or something.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I made a "bread" out of garbanzo bean flour some time ago. It tasted pretty good and did work as a substitute for bread, sort of, but it was really, really heavy and I wasn't able to eat much else. I like that it is so healthy, but I can't find very many good uses for the flour I got other than making that bread like dish. I suppose that is what I will just use it for, next time I need something that can kind of function as a hamburger bun or something.

I make 'la socca' and indian dosa from gram flour. They are both really nice - the only difference being olive oil in the first and spices in the 2nd... I would also suggest that you only do a partial substitution of gram flour with flour - something I often do with hemp flour as well in pancakes.

Having a quick look online I came across a recipe for besan chips (which is another name for gram flour) which looks interesting.

 

[angelicagapit]

If you have a lot of Garbanzo beans, I suggest making lots of hummus as well. Hummus is probably my favorite dip, and it's healthy too. You can dip pita bread in it or even smother it in your sandwiches along with Dijon mustard.

Any healthy dip is good for me, so hummus is the perfect choice.