Gastro Glossary - C - Chickpea

Chickpeas; cheap, sustainable and very, very versatile.

First grown in ancient Egypt, chickpeas are the major ingredient in the nations most popular dip: hummus. Whether ground into flour or soaked and used in Middle Eastern dishes, chickpeas are a great source of energy and quick to cook. Canned chickpeas are an excellent 'emergency food'; fry onion, garlic, chili, add some ground cumin, seasoning and chickpeas for a very quick meal.

You can buy chickpeas dried, which you need to soak overnight, or canned and can be found in all supermarkets and health food shops.

Make your own hummus

Ingredients
125g/4oz dried chickpeas, soaked in water overnight or canned
1 lemon, juice and zest
2 tbsp tahini
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
120ml/4fl oz olive oil
salt

Mix all ingredients in a food mixer to a paste. Taste and check if you need to add any additional seasoning. Be careful with the tahini - it is very strong and can take you by surprise!

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