My little one enjoys eating Garbanzo Beans, and I’m glad he does since it’s full of wonderful nutrients. I also like to use Garbanzo Bean Flour in baked goods, pancakes, waffles, etc.
Chickpeas provide some of the following nutrients:
- Protein
- Fiber
- Folate
- Iron
- Calcium
- Vitamin C
- B Vitamins
- Zinc
Note: Vitamin C helps with the absorption of iron. Combine Chickpeas with food rich in Vitamin C to help increase the absorption of iron from the Chickpeas.
To read more about Chickpeas, please refer to the following site:
Step By Step Instructions:
Measure 1 cup of dry chickpeas, go through them to make sure there aren’t any stones or discolored chickpeas and place it in a mesh strainer. Give the chickpeas a good rinse.
Place it in a saucepan or a bowl and add a good amount of water. Discard any chickpeas that float. The amount doesn’t really matter since the water will be drained later. Cover it with a lid or plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to soak for 12 hours or overnight. I did this at night so mine soaked overnight.
This is what it looks like the next day.
Drain the water and give it a good rinse under cold water.
Place the rinsed chickpeas into a pot and add 8 cups of filtered water.
Bring it to a boil over high heat.
Once it starts to boil, lower the heat to low, cover it with a lid and make sure the water is simmering.
Allow it to simmer until the chickpeas are soft. Can take about 1 1/2 hours. I wanted mine to be really soft for my little one, so the consistency I liked was reached after 3 hours.
To make sure it’s ready, remove a few, about 5 or so, and test for softness.
At this point, you may add vegetables to make a soup or may drain the liquid if you’re serving just the chickpeas.
Carefully pour the chickpeas into a mesh strainer to drain the liquid.
Allow it to cool.
I like to remove the outer skin off of the garbanzo beans by pinching the top half of the garbanzo bean with my thumb and index fingers. This allows the skin to come right off while the garbanzo beans easily pop out.
Serve with vegetables, make some Hummus or a Chickpea Dip, or place it in a food storage container and place it in the refrigerator which should be good for up to 3 days.
Note: Before serving this to your little one, please make sure to smash it, quarter it or cut it in half.
May also make a big batch, place it in a freezer safe container, and store it in the freezer for up to a month.
Recipe
How to Cook Chickpeas
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of dry chickpeas/garbanzo beans
- 8 cups of filtered water
Instructions:
Measure 1 cup of dry chickpeas, go through them to make sure there aren’t any stones or discolored chickpeas, and place it in a mesh strainer. Give the chickpeas a good rinse.
Place it in a saucepan or a bowl and add a good amount of water. Discard any chickpeas that float. The amount doesn’t really matter since the water will be drained later. Cover it with a lid or plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to soak for 12 hours or overnight. I did this at night so mine soaked overnight.
Once the soaking time has been reached, drain the water and give it a good rinse under cold water. Place the rinsed chickpeas into a pot and add 8 cups of filtered water. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Once it starts to boil, lower the heat to low, cover it with a lid and make sure the water is simmering. Allow it to simmer until the chickpeas are soft. Can take about 1 1/2 hours. I wanted mine to be really soft for my little one, so the consistency I liked was reached after 3 hours.
To make sure it’s ready, remove a few about 5 or so, and test for softness.
At this point, may add vegetables to make a soup or may drain the liquid if you’re serving just the chickpeas.
Carefully pour the chickpeas into a mesh strainer to drain the liquid. Allow it to cool. I like to remove the outer skin off of the garbanzo beans by pinching the top half of the garbanzo bean with my thumb and index fingers. This allows the skin to come right off while the garbanzo beans easily pop out.
Serve with vegetables, make some Hummus or a Chickpea Dip, or place it in a food storage container and place it in the refrigerator which should be good for up to 3 days.
Note: Before serving this to your little one, please make sure to smash it, quarter it or cut it in half.
May also make a big batch, place it in a freezer safe container, and store it in the freezer for up to a month.
