Chickpeas – properties and nutritional value

Chickpeas are a plant with many nutritional values, so they should be in everyone’s diet.

A few words about chickpeas

Chickpeas, also known as chickpeas and walnuts, are a legume that is appreciated especially in the Mediterranean – mainly in Arabic cuisine.

Types of chickpeas

Each type of chickpea has a sweet taste but differs in the size of the seeds. Types of chickpeas:

• kabuli – the seeds are large and cream-colored;
• desi – small seeds in different colors:
  • red,
  • black,
  • brown,
  • yellow,
  • green.

Chickpeas, a plant-based source of protein

People on vegetarian diets are replacing animal protein with plant protein in the form of chickpeas or soybeans. Researchers from the Institute of Food and Nutrition confirmed in their study that the combination of chickpeas with other plant products provides the body with complete protein.

100 g of cooked chickpeas contains 8.86 g of protein.

According to doctors and nutritionists, vegetable protein in the diet of an adult should be ½ of the protein supplied to the body. In the diet of children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, plant protein should be 1/3 of the daily protein requirement.

Chickpeas are a great source of:

• Vit. C,
• thiamin,
• riboflavin,
• niacin,
• Vit. B6,
• folic acid,
• Vit. A,
• Vit. K,
• minerals:
  • calcium,
  • phosphorus,
  • potassium,
  • iron,
  • magnesium,
  • sodium,
  • zinc.

Beneficial properties of chickpeas

Chickpeas have very many beneficial properties, and these are:

• lowering “bad” cholesterol,
• lowering blood pressure,
• potassium contained in chickpeas accelerates the excretion of sodium from the body,
• it is helpful in treating anemia,
• eliminates constipation,
• it is helpful in the treatment of intestinal diverticulosis and rectal varices,
• it has a very low glycemic index (GI=30), therefore diabetics can eat it,
• has a low satiety index, so it can be eaten by people on a diet,
• reduces inflammation,
• it is helpful in treating vitiligo.

>> Read also: What should be included in your diet to strengthen bones?

How to eat chickpeas?

Chickpeas are a versatile plant that can be eaten hot or cold. It works well as an ingredient in many dishes such as:

• stews,
• vegetable chops,
• soups,
• pâté,
• stuffing for dumplings,
• stuffing for croquettes,
• pastes.

How to cook chickpeas?

Many people are afraid of eating leguminous vegetables. This is due to their indigestibility and unpleasant symptoms they may cause. In order to reduce the indigestibility of chickpeas, it is necessary to carry out its proper processing, viz:

• soaking for about 12 hours,
• change the water after soaking – do not cook chickpeas in the same water they were soaked in,
• cooking for 20 minutes in a large pot without a lid,
• throw bay leaves or cumin seeds into the cooking,
• salting only at the end of cooking.

Hummus, or the most popular chickpea dish

The perfect hummus is creamy, luscious and very tasty. The important ingredient is tahini, or sesame paste, which must be of good quality so as not to spoil the taste of the hummus.

Ingredients:

• 1/5 cup dry chickpeas,
• ¾ cup sesame paste,
• juice of 1 lemon,
• 1-2 cloves of garlic peeled and squeezed,
• 1 teaspoon ground romaine cumin,
• 1 level teaspoon of baking soda (to soak),
• pinch of salt,
• water – maximum 3 tablespoons, you need to determine the ideal consistency.

To sprinkle hummus on top you can use:

• parsley,
• olive pieces,
• sun-dried tomatoes,
• sweet paprika,
• olive oil.

Method:

1. Soak the chickpeas for at least 12 hours and cook for 2 hours. You can add to the chickpeas:

• roman cumin,
• bay leaves.

2. When the chickpeas have cooled down, put all the ingredients into a blender and blend to a smooth paste.