They taste way better when homemade.
I used to joke that, as a kid, I knew one of my siblings was having a baby any day now if, by Wednesday, I saw a bowl of chickpeas soaking in water on the kitchen counter.
Many have the tradition to serve arbes and beer at a shalom zachor, the Friday night after a baby boy is born. (If you want to know why we have this tradition, see this article). Growing up in Lugano meant making your own chrein, your own challos and babkas, and your own arbes, shalom zachor or not.
Truthfully, you don’t need a shalom zachor to have an excuse to make your own cooked chickpeas. They are so much better homemade and fresh, you won’t want to go back to the store-bought version (or use canned).
- 1 pound dry chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar (or more), to taste
- Place chickpeas into a large bowl of water, enough to cover by a good few inches (they will double in size and soak up the water, so give them enough water for that). Soak them for at least 24 hours, in a cool place (on the counter, as long as it is 70-72 degrees in your kitchen). You can also freeze them after soaking (to save a step next time). I will typically start soaking them Wednesday night or early Thursday morning and cook them on Friday. Longer than 24 hours is recommended.
- Drain chickpeas and transfer to a large pot. Cover with water; simmer in a covered pot, over low heat, until tender, about 4 hours. Make sure to keep an eye on the pot and give it a stir from time to time, adding water only if necessary. You will think that they are soft enough after 2 hours, but be patient. This is what makes them special: the super-soft texture.
- Once chickpeas are soft, drain into a colander. Immediately spread them over a large, thick kitchen towel; let cool a bit.
- Sprinkle chickpeas with salt, pepper, and sugar. Wring the towel so that excess water drains out and spices mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning to taste (some like it sweeter than others).
- Serve warm.
Chickpeas take time to soak and cook, but are not hard at all to prepare. If you own a pressure cooker, by all means use it. It will cut the cooking time in half. Because of the extended soaking time, the chickpeas won’t bubble up as much as usual, so the vent won’t be blocked by the foam.
Once chickpeas are soft, drain into a colander. Immediately spread them over a large, thick kitchen towel; let cool a bit.
Sprinkle chickpeas with salt, pepper, and sugar.
Wring the towel so that excess water drains out and spices mix well.
How long should they cook if using a pressure cooker?
Oy I can’t believe you still do it that way: ( you never heard of the baking soda trick??? If you add a little bit of baking soda to the pot when it begins to boil, it cuts the cooking time drastically! Like let’s say 10 minutes to boil and then 20-30 min til it’s ready after you add baking soda. You have to watch because it becomes too soft very quickly. Also I never spread on towel. I strain and then put back into hot pot and spice in there so it’s still really hot and spices stick to it.
One more thing, as with all bean, you don’t want to let it soak at room temperature for too much longer than 24 hrs. After about 30 hours you should refrigerate thre soaking beans so they don’t go bad.
My mother makes it this way every week (towel and all) and is hands down the best! She is always the one to make it for any meal, Simcha in the family/community.
Any ideas for what to do with canned chick peas?
homemade chummus
Roasted chickpeas!
https://betweencarpools.com/two-ingredient-side-dishes-roasted-chickpeas/
Once heard that there’s a prob putting in the chickpeas in soup if the spices weren’t cooked with it. Can I add spices while cooking?
How many servings does this make?
I tried this recipe and it came out delicious! I tried it again and the second time my chickpeas came out mushy. I guess the flame was too high or it cooked too long. Ill try it again next week iyh and cook it just for 2- 3 hours .
Absolutely heaven on earth. Such clear instructions can’t get it wrong thank you