This bean, sometimes called a nut nut, is used in the same way as other beans (in particular, peas). It is used mainly in Central Asia (his homeland), in Central Asia, India, East Africa, Eastern Europe. Dishes using chickpeas are in Mexican, Spanish, Italian, Indian cuisine. But, of course, it remains a part and a symbol of traditional Oriental cuisine.
Chickpeas can be of different colors - beans are green, red, black - but most often white-seed varieties are used for food. These beans are irregular in shape, beige in color, and have an obvious nutty taste.
Cooking
In boiled and fried form, chickpeas are used both as side dishes and as independent dishes. From boiled beans, chickpeas are made with mashed potatoes, and then sauces and pastas are made from it. From the chopped chickpeas soups and cereals are prepared. With the addition of chickpea flour, bread is baked, pasta and confectionery products are cooked (baking, many national sweets, etc.), and even - are added to infant formula. Toasted chickpeas to taste very similar to nuts, - nutritious food, and in some countries and delicacy. Fried and crushed beans are often used to produce tasty and nutritious mixtures with raisins, sesame seeds, nuts. And in addition, in some eastern countries it is also used as a medicine (in folk medicine). Even in antiquity it was recommended as a tool that helps the work of the stomach and is necessary for use in skin diseases.
You can use chickpeas in cooking in many ways:
- Boiled chickpeas can be eaten as an independent snack (only necessary to add your favorite spices and herbs)
- Shredded beans can be added to a green salad.
- It will not be superfluous and in a sauce for spaghetti - with cheese and greens.
- When added to vegetable soup, chickpeas make the taste of the dish more intense.
And these are only the simplest ways, in the traditional cuisine of Asian people you can find many recipes for dishes, which include this useful product.
Health
Nut is recognized as the most useful of legumes. High protein content (about 30%) and carbohydrates (about 60%) with low fat content (less than 10%) make it an important part of the diet. And although according to some indicators (protein content, for example), he is inferior to soy and peas, but the quality of protein and vegetable fibers clearly exceeds them. Important is the balanced composition of the protein, its digestibility, the number of essential acids. The chickpea is very high quality and almost fat-free. Because of this, many consider it a vegetable substitute for meat. Vegetarians, as well as people who keep fasting, may well replace their meat in their diets.
Moreover, many of its useful properties have been recognized and scientifically proven. Drinking chickpeas helps to cope with iron deficiency - the cause of many health problems. Women (especially pregnant and lactating women) should first of all think about how to maintain the proper level of iron in the body. Without the normal supply of cells with oxygen (namely, hemoglobin, which includes iron), full growth and development is impossible.
In addition, chickpeas are a good source of vitamins: B2 (riboflavin), B1 (thiamine), nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, choline, and trace elements and minerals: for example, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, molybdenum. And this helps the normal development of metabolic processes in the body: for example, manganese is a part of many enzymes important for the production of antioxidants, molybdenum - is part of the enzyme, "struggling" with preservatives, often added to finished products.
Like other legumes, chickpea helps reduce the likelihood of a stroke or heart attack, regulates cholesterol (and its total quantity, and the amount of that cholesterol that is called "bad"), regulates digestive processes (although many complain about heavy digestion of legumes, but with prolonged soaking and the correct preparation of this can be avoided) and even prevents the development of cancer. It also positively affects the blood sugar level - due to the fact that this product provides the body with energy, and does not lead to a sharp increase in blood sugar levels.
No less than beans themselves, wholesome sprouts are also useful. They are rich in vitamins A and C, contain protein and fats, as well as potassium, calcium, magnesium. Sprouts chickpeas are easy to get at home. A portion of the beans is placed in a container (necessarily taking into account that the chickpea in the water will increase the volume by at least twice) and pour it with water. Water, if necessary, - add. On the second day must appear sprouts. Germinating, chickpeas not only acquires more and more useful properties (vitamin C, for example, in seedlings it becomes several times larger) but also smells pleasantly with roses.
On a note
To fully utilize the useful properties of chickpeas, you should not forget some simple rules:
- Keep dry chickpeas in a closed container, in a cool and dry place, without access to light:
- You can not mix chickpeas from different lots (that is, if it is bought at different times). It can differ (it could be dried in different ways) and it will have to be cooked different times;
- Dry chickpeas need to be thoroughly washed and then soaked before cooking (usually about 12 hours before cooking), then they will become much softer and easier to digest;
- Cook after soaking chickpeas needs a long time - at least an hour, sometimes up to one and a half.
If you are accustomed to eating properly, it is useful and tasty, then in your diet there must necessarily be chickpeas.