Preparation

 

Soak dry chickpeas in cold water for 24 hours, changing the water once or twice. Drain, clean and put them in a terracotta pot and cover them with water (two centimetres above the chickpea level). Add a sprig of rosemary and one or two unpeeled cloves of garlic; don’t put salt or bicarbonate; add a piece of kombu algae (also known as kelp) if you want to shorten cooking times. Cover the pot and cook over low heat for 3 or 4 hours, depending on the type of chickpeas you use. If you use a pressure cooker the cooking time is halved. Salt after the chickpeas are ready.

 

 

Variations

 

You can prepare in the same way other types of “hard” legumes, like the yellow soy.

 

 

News and tips

 

Boiled legumes can be seasoned to taste and they can be prepared with vegetables, cereals, pasta; they can even be blended to form velvet sauces or in other preparations (soups, croquettes, fillings, rolls, salads and so on). The cooking water can be used for different dishes because it is rich in nutrients. Chickpeas are rich in protein, mineral salt, fibres and anti-cholesterol active ingredients.

 

Francesca Marotta

Tradotto da Francesca Clemente