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:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

If you’re having trouble getting dry chickpeas (or other dry legumes) to cook properly, sometimes it’s not your process at fault, but the legume itself. The older the legume, the worse they cook.

Ideally <1 year since harvest, ok 1~2 years, tolerable 2~3 years; all depending on how they’ve been stored, too.

But yeah, nice fresh dry chickpeas, soaked for 12-24hrs with a pinch of sodium bicarbonate, should cook to a lovely texture without a pressure cooker in 40-60 minutes.

My wife makes falafel with big meatball things that don’t actually have meat and are mostly chickpeas I believe. It’s a really satisfying meal if you’re craving something savory and meaty.

Hummus! With a little bit of Greek yogurt and garlic and olive oil 🤌🏼

You could make falafel