How To Boil Chickpeas
I published several chickpea recipes on my website and my recommendation was to use canned chickpeas. It's easier if you cook chickpea pate or hummus once in a while, but if you want to prepare other dishes as well, I recommend making freezable portions of boiled chickpeas.
We've been starting to like chickpea dishes more and more - various chickpea balls, chickpea curry, hummus etc. - that's how I started to boil and freeze it so that I always have chickpea supplies at hand and it's a lot cheaper than the canned one.
Even though it takes a lot of time, it's really worth the effort, after you've made your stock, you don't need to worry about it anymore and, this way, you always have the option of a healthy meal or side dish.
I usually buy chickpeas from Arabic shops, such as Halal - it's cheaper, it's bigger and it boils better than the one I find in the natural products shops.
Place the chickpea in a big bowl and fill with enough water to cover 5-6 times its volume.
Add 1 tsp baking soda to the water - it will make the boiling process quicker.
I also tried adding the baking soda in the hot water, right before it came to a boil - take care if you do this, there will be a lot of foam which you must remove quickly, so that it doesn't spread all over the stove.
Soak overnight - if you notice that the chickpeas have increased in size and there isn't anymore water in the bowl, just add some more water.
The next day, drain and wash the chickpea, place into a cooking pot and cover with water about twice its volume.
When it comes to the boil, a lot of foam will form, skim off, turn the heat down and cook for 2 hours.
I don't add any aromatic plants (bay leaf, onion, rosemary) because I want the chickpeas to have a neutral taste, suitable for any dish (even for a dietetic sweet tart crust).
Make sure it boils slowly and, if needed, refill the pot with hot/boiling water.
You'll know it's cooked when a chickpea squashed between your fingers is creamy and soft.
The cooking time varies, sometimes it took 1 hour, other times 3 or 5 hours - the Arabic chickpeas were the fastest to boil.
When it's ready, turn off the heat and let cool completely.
Chickpeas can have a thin skin (I've seen chickpeas that didn't have), which can be easily slipped off, if you want to. Simply rub the chickpeas against each other and rinse it off with cold water.
Chickpeas can be kept in the fridge up to 2-3 days if consumed right away.
Or you can make batches, bigger or smaller - the exact quantity needed for pates, other meals - and freeze them.
They will keep perfectly in the freezer for a long time, they won't change the taste nor the texture.
Thaw before cooking.
