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Chickpeas

Beans, lentils & pulses · Chickpeas & peas

Chickpeas

Round, beige, nutty legumes (garbanzo beans, here ready-cooked); the base of hummus, chana masala and countless stews.

Also called: garbanzo beans, canned chickpeas, chana, kabuli chana, chole, nohut, hummus beans

Around the world: hummus, حمص (ar) · chana, छोले (hi) · garbanzos (es)

A kind of beans

82 recipes with it

Photo: AlixSaz, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

What it is

Chickpeas are round, knobbly beige legumes with a beak-like point, a nutty flavour and a firm, buttery bite. This record is the cooked or canned large kabuli type; dried chickpeas, the smaller dark kala chana and split chana dal have their own entries. The canning liquid is aquafaba.

Cicer arietinum

How it’s used

  • Blended with tahini into hummus
  • Simmered in chana masala and chole
  • Roasted until crunchy as a snack
  • Added to stews, tagines, salads and soups

Characteristics

Taste
Nutty, mild and slightly sweet.
Texture
Firm and buttery; becomes creamy when blended.
When cooked
Keeps its shape in stews; peel the skins for the smoothest hummus.
Sold as
canned, dried, powder
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Suitable for boiling, Suitable for frying

Kinds in our pantry

Storage

Pantry-stable. Keep cans in the pantry; once opened, refrigerate the chickpeas (and aquafaba, if saving it) covered and use within a few days.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
139 kcal
Protein
7.05 g
Carbohydrate
22.53 g
Fat
2.77 g
Fibre
6.4 g
Sugars
4.01 g

USDA FoodData Central: Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, canned, drained solids.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

Related ingredients

Recipes with chickpeas

See all 82

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