Chickpea, not only in stew

• More than half of its weight is water, so we can say that it is a light food, whose nutritional contribution increases due to the type of preparation and accompaniments.
• Benefits: improves constipation, is low in sodium, controls blood glucose peaks, is a source of protein for vegetarians ...
• Ideal in: creams, purees, salads, sauces, stews ...

Vegetable proteins, carbohydrates and a lot of fiber

Despite the fame of energy food, chickpeas more than 50% of the weight of chickpeas is water. About 100 g of cooked chickpeas provide about 130 kilocalories. Therefore, what is most fattening are often the rest of the ingredients that we add to cooked or legume stews, such as bacon, chorizo, ribs, etc. Its nutritional composition is varied and especially rich in complex carbohydrates and fiber. About 100 g contain 18 g of carbohydrates, 9 g of protein, 2.5 g of fat and more than 10 g of fiber. They contain little sodium and are rich in potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, calcium, folates and vitamin B1.

How to take it

Chickpeas can be cooked in different ways: cooked, roasted, fried, in the form of flour, etc. As we introduced previously, the most popular way of consuming them is cooked in stews or stews, but chickpeas are good for much more. It can be taken in cream of legumes, boiled and crushed together with other legumes and vegetables. Also forming part of salads, creams, sauces ... A type of infusion is even made with chickpea flour and something similar to coffee with roasted and ground chickpeas.

In Spain there are many stews and typical dishes from different regions that are made with chickpeas, such as Madrid stew, Andalusian and Galician tripe, Catalan escudella, Lent stew, chickpea stew with chard and boiled egg. ...

The chickpea is part of popular dishes of different cultures such as the Egyptian "spoon", based on rice, noodles, chickpeas and lentils; the "hummus" typical of the countries of the Middle East, a chickpea puree with lemon juice, tahini (sesame seed paste) and olive oil (sometimes other ingredients are added that offer different variants). The Genoese "fainá" very typical of Italian Liguria and Tuscany is a kind of cake made from chickpea flour, water, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Who is it good for and who is not?

It is recommended for:

• Chickpeas contain a lot of fiber, which is why they favor the regulation of intestinal transit, avoiding constipation.
• Children: its versatility of use in salads, creams, stews, etc. they favor the preparation of imaginative and nutritious dishes for the little ones in the house.
• Athletes: its contribution in carbohydrates and proteins make it a good food to achieve nutritious dishes that help us achieve good physical condition. It should be noted that we will not advise them right after a workout since their fiber content slows the absorption of nutrients and not before a competition, since they can cause flatulence problems.
• : Chickpeas are suitable foods for people suffering from high blood pressure due to their low sodium content, their potassium content and their diuretic potential.
• : its fiber content and slow absorption carbohydrates make post-ingestion blood glucose rise slowly, something interesting for people who suffer from alterations in glycemic control, such as diabetics.
• Vegetarians: their protein content makes them interesting since, combined with cereals, we can obtain the essential amino acids to "build" / synthesize proteins.

It is not suitable in case:

• Flatulence and: in this case we will recommend only chickpea purees and, if necessary, passed through a Chinese strainer to remove a good part of the fiber and thus achieve faster digestions and less gas.
• Babies: its high fiber content makes digestion difficult, so babies should start taking chickpeas without skin and crushed when the pediatrician deems it so.

Buying and conservation advice

They can be purchased dry or cooked, in bulk or packaged. If we buy them dry, we must make sure that the packaging is in good condition and that the chickpeas are not broken and look good. If we buy them already cooked, we will also choose chickpeas, whole with a uniform color and that do not give off an odor that can be a sign of poor conservation.

Chickpeas keep for a long time, both dry, cooked and canned. If we buy them cooked and in bulk, we must keep them cold and consume them in a couple of days preferably. Cooked chickpeas can also be frozen and kept for months.

Chickpeas, despite being rich in protein, do not provide us with all the essential amino acids as they contain insufficient amounts of methionine. On the other hand, cereals are poor in lysine, which means that we have to combine cereals and legumes such as chickpeas to achieve a high quality protein intake.

THE RECIPE

Hummus (for 6-8 people)

Ingredients:

• 2 glasses of cooked chickpeas
• 2 large tablespoons of tahini
• 1 clove of garlic, a pinch of salt, ground cumin
• Half a lemon, paprika, parsley, extra virgin olive oil and water

preparation:

• Crush the chickpeas and gradually add the peeled garlic clove, 1/3 of a small tablespoon with salt, 1/2 small tablespoon of ground cumin, the juice of half a lemon and the tahini sauce.
• Beat and add water so that we achieve a creamy but full-bodied texture.
• Serve the hummus in a bowl and decorate with the parsley, paprika and a splash of extra virgin olive oil.