Chickpeas are a great choice for fasting and vegans. Calorie content of chickpeas, cooking methods, recipes

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Mankind has been growing this leguminous crop for more than 7000 years, and it is used not only as an element of nutrition, but also as a medicine. In Russia, chickpeas have only recently begun to spread, but in the East they are very popular.

In this article we will tell you why you should include it in your daily menu, we will give several recipes for its preparation.

A bit of history

As mentioned above, the history of chickpeas as human food began a long time ago. Coming from the East to the tables of Rome and Greece, he immediately took the place of a revered food product. He was promptly tied to the pantheon, allocating a place next to Venus, as it was claimed that chickpeas promote he alth. In addition, it began to be valued above peas, as it was more nutritious and less gas stimulating.

Today it is actively used in the cuisines of countries such as India, Turkey,Mexico, Pakistan. A little less popular, but at the same time we sincerely love chickpeas in the Mediterranean countries.

Composition

Chickpeas are loved by the people not only for their taste, but also for their exceptional nutritional value. Being a vegetable product, chickpeas are able to compete with eggs, as they have a similar set of amino acids. In other words, fasting people, vegans and those who cannot eat eggs for medical reasons will find salvation in chickpeas. In addition, the calorie content of chickpeas will please the fighters for a he althy lifestyle, as this product contains fibers (both soluble and not), manganese, selenium, iron and, of course, a large amount of protein.

On the topic of the benefits of this food product, you can rant for a very long time, we will try to highlight the main points:

• stimulates digestion while lowering cholesterol levels in the body;
• promotes hematopoiesis and stimulates growth due to manganese;
• due to molybdenum, which is part of chickpeas, the body activates the neutralization of harmful preservatives;
• protects eyes from cataract formation;
• normalizes blood sugar levels.

Dry calorie content of chickpeas is 364 kcal per 100 grams, while it contains 19 grams of protein, 6 grams of vegetable fat and 61 grams of carbohydrates.

How to cook chickpeas?

The only problem with chickpeas is the initial cooking. It is very hard and takes a long time to cook, but if you follow the cooking principle, yousave yourself the hassle. It can also be cooked for future use and frozen for the future.

First, soak the chickpeas in cold water overnight. The liquid should be 3 times more than the Turkish peas. If you plan to grind boiled chickpeas into puree (for example, make hummus, the recipe of which will be given below), then you can add 1 teaspoon of soda without a slide, as it helps soften the dense shell.

After the specified period, the chickpeas will noticeably increase in size. Drain the old water and fill with cold new water, then put the peas on the fire. Let it boil, remove the foam and reduce the heat to a minimum, then cook for 2 hours. Drain the water, let the chickpeas cool, and use them according to the recipe.

Vegetable stew with chickpeas

Chickpeas are most effective when combined with vegetables, so treat yourself to a delicious and he althy vegetable stew:

• boiled chickpeas - 400 grams;
• tomatoes without skin - 400 grams;
• eggplant - 400 grams;
• cumin - 0.5 tsp;
• eggplant - 500 grams;
• onion - 150 grams;
• garlic - 3 cloves;
• paprika - 2 teaspoons;
• black pepper - to taste;
• s alt - to taste;
• vegetable oil - 2 tbsp. spoons;
• greens - to taste, but the more the better.

Cooking

Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic, then fry in vegetable oil until golden brown.

Throw infrying pan with chickpeas, fried onions and garlic will infuse it with flavors.

Wash the eggplant and chop into cubes with a 2 cm edge, then add to the peas.

Fry for 2-3 minutes until golden.

Chop the tomatoes into cubes and add to the pan along with the s alt and spices. Pour 3-4 tablespoons of water into it, stir, reduce the heat to a minimum and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid closed, stirring occasionally.

Finely chop the herbs and garlic, add to the vegetables, mix again and remove the dish from the heat.

Let stand for 5-7 minutes before serving. This dish is extremely dietary, since the calorie content of chickpeas, already low, is complemented by an abundance of vegetables, which give the dish additional weight and volume. A plate of ready-made stew draws a maximum of 250 - 300 kcal.

Hummus

Here he is! Hummus is the most popular chickpea dish. And this is not an exaggeration. Homogeneous, buttery, with a slight nutty taste, in the classic version it is served with boiled eggs, raw onions and warm white bread. A very rich, nutritious dish, but not the easiest for the stomach, so many replace eggs and onions simply with vegetables, and take whole grain bread. If you make the hummus less thick, then you can use it as a dip by dipping vegetables into it. The basic recipe is as follows:

• boiled peas (you can use canned chickpeas) - 300 grams;
• sesame - 30 grams;
• olive oil - 5 tbsp. spoons + to taste for decoration;
• garlic - 2 small cloves;
• lemon juice - 3Art. spoons;
• cumin - pinch;
• s alt to taste.

First of all, heat the cumin in a dry frying pan until a light aroma appears, then pour it into a coffee grinder and grind it. It can also be done in a mortar.

Do the same with sesame.

Crush the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic in a blender until smooth.

Add cumin powder and sesame powder, grind again until a smooth paste is obtained.

Throw the chickpeas into the blender while continuing to grind.

To regulate the density, you can add chickpea broth or just water.

S alt the pâté and taste it. Add more oil or lemon juice if desired. Place in a bowl and drizzle with oil to taste.

That's all, hummus is ready, you can help yourself. However, you need to be restrained in your desires. Despite the taste and benefits of the dish, the calorie content of chickpeas, multiplied by the abundance of oil, may not affect your figure in the best way. Measure should be in everything.