I’m trying to eat more beans as I eat less meat and making them from scratch is not an option. Pre-cooked beans are very hard to find where I live apart for chickpeas apparently.
Chickpeas are probably my favorite bean!
Chana masala is one of my favorites, it’s basically chickpeas in a spiced tomato sauce and its absolutely delicious
I also make a salad that’s chickpeas, shredded carrots, celery, green onion, and dill that’s lovely
Last one, but falafels are outstanding, and not that hard to make. I always start those from dried chickpeas though, I’m not sure if canned would hold up as well tbh
Didn’t know falafels were a thing! That’s perfect for me as I also want to include spinach. I also didn’t know you could eat chickpeas without pressure cooking them, so this is even better as dried chickpeas are cheaper. Thanks!
Hummus! With a little bit of Greek yogurt and garlic and olive oil 🤌🏼
Get a pressure cooker, and cooking any dried beans becomes quick and easy.
For chickpeas, we often do curries. This one is great, too: https://www.budgetbytes.com/sriracha-hummus/
You could make falafel
Never had success making falafel from pre-cooked chickpeas but perhaps I’m doing it wrong?
Pre-cooked chickpeas are going to be too soft for falafel unless you add a lot of binders; otherwise they’ll fall apart in the fryer. Soaked (but raw) chickpeas are the usual method.
I have had great luck with this recipe: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/how-to-make-falafel/#tasty-recipes-10436-jump-target
I eat chickpeas at least once a week. Soak overnight with salted water, then simmered on stovetop for 30+ minutes (just try eating one to see if they’re to taste). You can drain and keep in refrigerator for a couple days like this, so they’re ready to go.
Here are the recipes I kind of cycle through:
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In a salad: spread out over baking sheet(s) with salt+pepper, roast on high heat (200+) about 10-20 minutes, put on salad with a garlicky tahini dressing + a messy drizzle of sriracha sauce for spice.
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Frizzled chicpeas: Start caraméling a lot of onions in a large skillet. Amount of olive oil will determine how “rich” you want end product to feel. Dump a bunch of roughly smashed garlic in, then add your boiled (and preferably dried) chicpeas. Cook until good. I do it vegan, but pressing in some halloumi against the bottom of the pan to get it browned is good here.
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Just a chicpea-forward been salad: mixed with assorted whatever beans, onions, in a vinegary dressing. Gets better the longer it soaks, so great for leftover lunch the next day.