If you are looking for protein and high fiber you came to the right place. Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) are the answer. These little gems contain calcium, magnesium among other nutrients. They can also help sleep, muscle movement, digestion, learning and memory. On top of these benefits you can buy a can for a dollar so they are budget friendly.
Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) can be used in many different ways in many different recipes. Let's take a look at how creative you can be with one little can.
INDIAN FLATBREAD (SOCCA)
Bread made out of beans? Give it a try.
1 cup chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
1 cup water
3 tbsp + 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/8 – 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/3 cup diced tomato
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp minced cilantro
In a medium bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, water, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, salt, ground coriander and turmeric.
Cover with plastic wrap and let the mixture rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the broiler, with the rack set 7 to 8 inches from the element.
Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat.
Add the onion and cook until starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir the vegetables into the chickpea flour batter.
Place a large (10-inch) cast iron skillet in the oven to preheat for 5 minutes.
Using an oven mitt or potholder, carefully remove the cast iron skillet from the oven. Pour in 1 tablespoon olive oil and swirl to coat the pan.
Pour in half of the batter and immediately swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.
Place under the broiler and cook until the top and edges are starting to blacken and blister, 4 to 6 minutes.
Carefully transfer the flatbread to a cutting board, cut into 8 wedges, garnish with cilantro and serve.
Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, batter and cilantro.
https://www.cookincanuck.com/indian-spiced-chickpea-flatbread-socca-recipe/
CHICKPEA FRIES
Fries don't have to stop with potatoes.
for the chickpea fries
1 cup chickpea flour
2 cups water
4 TB olive oil, divided
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
avocado cooking spray
for the yogurt-tahini sauce
I used one (5.3 oz.) Kite Hill Greek-style yogurt, but any plain+unsweetened, non-dairy yogurt will do.
1 TB tahini
juice from half a lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
for serving
a few pinches of smoked paprika
1-2 TB chopped parsley
lemon wedges
to make the chickpea batter
Whisk the chickpea flour, water, 2 TB of the oil and salt and pepper in a bowl until smooth.
Warm the remaining 2 TB oil in a medium-sized heavy pot over medium-high heat.
Add in the batter, wait until it starts to bubble, then whisk for 3-4 minutes, until the batter slightly thickens, turning the heat down as needed if it starts to sputter.
Spray a medium-sized pyrex with some of the cooking spray. Working quickly, transfer the batter to the pyrex, smoothing it down with a spatula.
Allow to cool, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
to make the yogurt-tahini sauce
Combine all of the sauce ingredients. Chill until ready to use.
to prepare the fries
transfer the chilled batter to a cutting board, slicing it into 1/2-inch wide strips, cutting in half if desired.
Lightly spray with a little oil and place into an air fryer in a single layer (I had to do these in two separate batches) at 400 for about 10 minutes, flipping over halfway through, and adding a little more oil and salt if desired.
to serve
Serve immediately with the sauce, topping with smoked paprika if desired. Add parsley and lemon wedges.
Notes
The chickpea fries can be baked, chilled and reheated in an air fryer for about 5 minutes at 400.
The chickpea fries can also be deep-fried, pan-fried or baked at 400 until golden all over.
https://olivesfordinner.com/2018/07/chickpea-fries-with-yogurt-tahini-sauce.html
CHICKPEA BURGERS
Are you looking for a new veggie burger? Chickpeas to the rescue.
1 Onion
3 Cloves Garlic
1 15oz Can Chickpeas
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 cup Fresh Chopped Cilantro (loosely packed)
3 Tbsp All Purpose Flour (use gluten-free for gluten-free version) – plus more for rolling**
2 Tbsp + 1 tsp Avocado Oil
Finely chop the onion and crush the garlic and add to a frying pan with 1 tsp avocado oil and fry until just before they start to brown.
Drain the can of chickpeas and add the chickpeas to a food processor with the cooked onions/garlic, paprika, coriander powder, cumin, freshly chopped cilantro and flour and process it into a thick burger batter.
Sprinkle flour over a baking tray and cover your hands with it as well. Scoop the batter out onto the tray in 4 even sections, roll in the flour and form into 4 balls.
If the batter is very sticky or too wet, add more flour so that it easily forms a ball.
Take a square of parchment paper, place on top of each ball and press down on it with the bottom of a glass to flatten it into a burger shape.
Place the baking tray with the 4 burgers into the freezer to firm up for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes add 2 Tbsp avocado oil to a frying pan and heat up until hot.
Add all 4 burgers to the frying pan and fry on each side turning regularly until browned and crispy, roughly 5 minutes on each side.
If you want your burgers extra firm and crispy you can place on a parchment lined baking tray and bake in the oven at 400°F (200°C) for a further 20-30 minutes.
https://lovingitvegan.com/easiest-vegan-chickpea-burgers/
CHICKPEA KUNG PAO WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Ramp up the spice with this chickpea recipe.
For the stir fry:
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved
Freshly ground salt and pepper
1 red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
For the kung pao sauce:
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (or ½ teaspoon ground ginger)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons coconut aminos
1 teaspoon coconut sugar
½ tablespoon arrowroot powder (or tapioca starch)
1-2 tablespoons peanut butter, for flavor
To garnish:
Chopped peanuts
Red pepper flakes
Green onions
Cilantro
First make the kung pao sauce: Add garlic, red pepper flakes, ginger, apple cider vinegar, coconut aminos, coconut sugar, cornstarch, and peanut butter to a medium bowl; whisk until the arrowroot is dissolved. Set aside for later.
Next preheat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add in sesame oil. Once oil is hot, add in Brussels sprouts, stir frequently and cook until they begin turning slightly golden brown, about 3-5 minutes.
Add in red onion and red bell pepper, and sauté until onions become slightly translucent and golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Add salt and pepper to veggies, and then add chickpeas to pan.
Turn the heat to low, then pour the sauce into the pan. Stir frequently as the sauce will start to thicken up after a minute or two. Serve immediately over quinoa or brown rice. Garnish with chopped peanuts, green onion, cilantro and a pinch of red pepper flakes, if desired. Serves 4.
https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/kung-pao-chickpea-brussels-sprouts-stir-fry/
CHICKPEA CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
One can will make dinner and dessert. You'll be surprised how this recipe comes together.
1 cup/ 14 oz can of low-sodium chickpeas
¾ cup (70% cacao) vegan chocolate
a generous splash of plant milk (optional)
1 T monk fruit sweetener
1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice (optional)
2 pinches of hot chilli powder (optional)
Break the chocolate into smaller chunks and place it in a glass bowl together with a splash of plant milk. Take the bowl off the heat and allow it to cool down a little.
Drain the chickpea water into large glass bowl. Keep the water. It should give you 1 cup. Reserve the chickpeas for another use, like a salad or burgers. This water is called aquafaba.
I recommend adding a teaspoon of acid (like vinegar or lemon juice) to the chickpea water to speed things up and stabilize the foam.
Using an electric egg whisk, whip the chickpea water into stiff peaks – this is super important. The best way to check if you have achieved stiff peaks is to invert the bowl with whipped aquafaba. If aquafaba slides down even a tiny bit, you are not there yet – keep on whipping until it does not move at all. I used an old, hand-held whisk and it took me about 15 minutes to get stiff peaks. If you are a lucky owner of a stand mixer, it will happen quicker. The good news is that (as opposed to egg whites) aquafaba cannot be overwhipped.
OPTIONAL STEP: Once you reach stiff peaks, start adding sugar, bit by bit, whipping the whole time. If sugar has caused the stiff peaks to perish, whip the mixture until you get stiff peaks again.
Check that the chocolate has cooled down sufficiently – it should not be warm to the touch or else chocolate may seize and you will end up with grainy mousse.
Gently fold melted chocolate into whipped aquafaba using a silicone spatula. Do not worry if your fluffy mixture deflates once the chocolate has been added – that’s perfectly normal. By the time you’ve added all of your melted chocolate, the mousse MAY have more of a pourable consistency.
Add chilli powder if using and mix well. Divide the mixture between 4 glasses. Gently stir the mixture between putting it into individual glasses as a bit of melted chocolate tends to drop to the bottom sometimes.
Put glasses into the fridge for minimum 3 hours for the mousse to set. I tend to chill mine overnight and it’s perfectly set and fluffy each time
https://www.lazycatkitchen.com/fluffy-vegan-chocolate-mousse/
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Chickpeas are your substitute for flour in this cookie recipe.
1½ cups cooked (or 1 15-oz can, drained) chickpeas
½ cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons chickpea flour
3 tablespoons coconut sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.
Place the ingredients (except the chocolate chips) in the blender and blend until smooth. Transfer the batter to a bowl and fold in the chocolate chips.
Scoop a heaping tablespoon of batter onto the baking sheet. Repeat until all the batter is used.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are slightly firm. Let the cookies cool completely (they'll firm up as they cool) before enjoying.
https://thecolorfulkitchen.com/2017/04/03/best-chickpea-chocolate-chip-cookies/
One can of chickpeas can make everything from a snack to a main course. Whether you use canned or dried, the options are endless. You probably have a can in your cupboard right now. Grab it and get cooking!
Here's to your health! Happy Cooking!