Ottolenghi's Chickpea Cooking Method Recipe - Food.com (2024)

4

Submitted by xtine

"This is Yotam Ottolenghi's method for cooking chickpeas, which he learned from his friend Sami Tamimi's grandmother. Some people like to use this method to cook chickpeas for hummus, because it makes the skins very soft, and this results in a smoother hummus. The chickpeas are sautéed with baking soda for a few minutes, before dumping in the water to simmer the chickpeas. The baking soda makes the water more alkaline, which softens the chickpeas more quickly by weakening their pectic bonds.Also, sautéing the chickpeas with the baking soda before adding water adds a friction which helps break down the skins and gets the baking soda to penetrate the skin better. This allows them to cook much faster and puree smoother. NOTE - "preparation time" includes soaking time.This method also loosens and removes the skins on the chickpeas, so if your goal is to have whole, intact chickpeas for a recipe, this is not a good method to use."

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Ready In:
12hrs 40mins

Ingredients:
3
Yields:

4 cups

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ingredients

  • 1 13 cups dried garbanzo beans
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 7 cups water

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directions

  • The night before, put the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with cold water at least twice their volume. Leave to soak overnight for at least 12 or up to 24 hours.
  • The next day, drain the chickpeas. Place a large pot over high heat and add the drained chickpeas and baking soda. Cook for about three minutes, stirring constantly.
  • Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, skimming off any foam and any skins that float to the surface.
  • The chickpeas will need to cook for 10 to 40 minutes, depending on the type and freshness, sometimes even longer. Start checking them after 10 minutes, and then check every 2 minutes after that. Once done, they should be very tender, breaking up easily when pressed between your thumb and finger.

Questions & Replies

Ottolenghi's Chickpea Cooking Method Recipe - Food.com (7)

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Reviews

  1. Surely as green apples in July and ripe blueberries in June, I'm gonna make hummus. So much better than using the canned stuff.

    gailanng

  2. This method works extremely well, and since I started using it I haven't made hummus with canned chickpeas. The extra effort is absolutely worth it! I add a teaspoon of salt to the overnight soaking water - a Cook's Illustrated tip for brining dried beans.

    maisypjh

  3. I came upon the best trick making this today! I found a way to filter out all the skins without having to peel/pick off even one! it's so laborious to do, and I just never would and then would be stuck with a disturbing amount of skins.... after i cooked them enough (it only took 10 mins), i drained them and then put them back in the pot and filled it with cold water; 1. to stop the cooking 2. to expedite the process of getting them in the freezer. when i started swishing the cold water around, i noticed that the skins started floating to the top! before letting them settle, i carefully drained just the water and yes! just the skins got filtered out! I did this several times until there was NO skins left!! This is very exciting for me :) look at all the skins that came off, none of which i had to do by hand!!

    • Ottolenghi's Chickpea Cooking Method Recipe - Food.com (11)

    tdotspace

  4. I used 1 tsp baking soda in 1/2 lb. soaked chickpeas. They turned brown and very mushy. I found, on my next trial, that the baking soda was totally unnecessary.

    1pmarie

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Tweaks

  1. omitted baking soda

    1pmarie

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

xtine

  • 15 Followers
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  • 11 Tweaks

<p>I'm originally from Atlanta, GA, but I now live in Brooklyn, NY with my husband, cat, and dog. I'm a film and video editor, but cooking is my main hobby - if you can call something you do multiple times a day a hobby. <br />I enjoy all types of food, from molecular gastronomy to 70's suburban Mom type stuff. While I like to make recipes from cookbooks by true chefs, I don't turn my nose up at Campbell's Cream of Mushroom - I'm not a food snob. <br /> I love foods from all nations/cultures, and I am fortunate enough to live in NYC so I can go to restaurants which serve food from pretty much anywhere on the globe. Because of this most of my recipes tend to be in the Western European/American food tradition - I find it easier to pay the experts for more complicated delicacies such as Dosai, Pho &amp; Injera. I really enjoy having so many great food resources available to me here in NYC. One of my favorite stores is Kalustyan's http://www.kalustyans.com/ <br />they have every spice, bean, &amp; grain in the world. If there's something you can't find, look on their website. I bet they'll have it and they can ship it to you! <br />Many of my recipes are Southern, because that's the food I grew up on. I hope the recipes I have posted here will be useful to folks out in the 'zaar universe! <br /> <br /><img src=http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/Adopted1smp.jpg border=0 alt=Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket /> <br /><img src=http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/smPACp.jpg border=0 alt=Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket /> <br /><img src=http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/PACfall08partic.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /> <br /><img src=http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/IWasAdoptedfall08.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /> <br /><img src=http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e110/flower753/Food/my3chefsnov2008.jpg alt= /></p>

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Ottolenghi's Chickpea Cooking Method Recipe  - Food.com (2024)

FAQs

Ottolenghi's Chickpea Cooking Method Recipe - Food.com? ›

By adding baking soda, you are increasing the pH of the water and making it more alkaline. This helps break down the pectin in the chickpeas which softens their skins better and faster. This is especially important when you are making hummus and want the creamiest consistency possible.

Why add baking soda when cooking chickpeas? ›

By adding baking soda, you are increasing the pH of the water and making it more alkaline. This helps break down the pectin in the chickpeas which softens their skins better and faster. This is especially important when you are making hummus and want the creamiest consistency possible.

What is the method of cooking chickpeas? ›

Cover with cold water, add the bicarbonate of soda, if using, and leave to soak for 8-12 hrs. Drain the chickpeas and tip into a saucepan. Add cold water to come to about 8-10 cm above the chickpeas and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 45 mins - 1 hr, or until the chickpeas are tender.

How long to cook chickpeas to remove toxins? ›

The pulses should be thoroughly rinsed after soaking and placed in a saucepan of fresh water. Bring them to the boil and keep at a boil for 10 minutes before reducing the heat to a simmer. This boiling time is needed to kill off toxins which can be present in some pulses.

What to serve with Ottolenghi tandoori chickpeas? ›

I served it with a coriander mint yoghurt but you can swap that out with coconut yogurt, or just some herbage on top to keep it completely vegan. Serve with flatbreads, with rice, over baked potatoes!

How do you get rid of gas in chickpeas? ›

Soak twice and discard the water.

If you're cooking beans from scratch, place them in hot water and allow to soak for several hours before cooking. A second soak using fresh water can reduce the offending sugars even further. Discard the soaking water and use fresh water to cook the beans.

How much baking soda do I use to boil chickpeas? ›

suggested cooking times and temperatures

To cook dried chickpeas you must get them ready in advance. In a bowl add the chickpeas and cover them to double their height in water. Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda for every cup of dried chickpeas.

How do you cook chickpeas to prevent gas? ›

Soaking may help them digest better.

Soaking may help to remove some of the phytic acid found in dry beans, and it may also help remove some of their gas-causing properties. If you want to remove even more phytic acid, try Instant Pot Chickpeas instead– pressure cooking helps even more!

What happens if you forget to soak chickpeas overnight? ›

If you have forgotten to soak chickpeas, or any legume for that matter that needs an overnight soak, this might help you. – Heat some water to soak the chickpeas in. You should see those tiny bubbles sticking to the side of the pan. – Dry roast the chickpeas in a pan over medium heat till it feels warm to the touch.

Do you rinse chickpeas before cooking? ›

Sort through the beans and remove any stones or other debris. Place them in a colander and rinse under cool running water before draining. Transfer the beans to a saucepan and cover with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, cook for 1 minute, cover and remove from the heat.

Why do chickpeas smell bad when cooking? ›

Soaking beans at room temperature promotes fermentation (and yes, the beans get gassy) resulting in (you guessed it) a sour smell. While certain types of fermentation can limit disruptive complex sugars (or oligosaccharides), the situation described above can be unsafe prior to cooking.

Can you overcook chickpeas? ›

If you are cooking them from dry, make sure not to overcook them — overly soft or mushy chickpeas will take much longer to crisp up. Olive oil. Or use any vegetable oil you like. Technically these can be made oil-free, but in my opinion the texture is vastly better with a little drizzle of oil.

How do you cook chickpeas without losing nutrients? ›

A common practice is to soak them for long time to achieve hydration, to accelerate starch gelatinization during cooking and to reduce anti-nutritional factors such as phytates, tannins and enzyme inhibitors by leaching them out to water. Chickpeas can be cooked with or without prior soaking (Sayar et al.

What is an Indian dish made from chickpeas? ›

Give this chana masala dish a try and don't look back. Indian food is not just curried sauces. This spin on an Indian chickpea curry features a healthy mixture of chickpeas, tomatoes, onion, and spices.

What is the difference between Desi and Kabuli chickpeas? ›

Chickpeas mainly come in two varieties, namely, kabuli and desi types. In general, the surface of the kabuli chickpea has a beige coat and it is a large seed without edges, while the desi chickpea has a dark-colored coat over small and rough seeds (Mohammadi, 2015).

How to eat chickpeas healthy? ›

Chickpeas are found in many cuisines. Stir them into soups, stews and pasta dishes, toss in salads or puree for a healthy appetizer.

Should you add baking soda when soaking chickpeas? ›

Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover completely with cold water. Allow to soak overnight, or about 12 hours. A teaspoon of baking soda can be added to aid with the soaking process, but plain water for 12 hours tends to work just fine.

Why add baking soda to chickpeas for hummus? ›

Baking soda: Adding baking soda to the chickpeas helps make the legume easier to digest, softer, and makes them easy to peel. Don't skip this ingredient! Lemon juice: I never suggest using pre-bottled lemon juice, but I especially urge you not to in homemade hummus.

What happens when you cook beans with baking soda? ›

The addition of baking soda to the cooking water does two things: It adds sodium ions that weaken the pectin as explained above, and more importantly, an alkaline environment causes the pectin molecules to break down into smaller molecules that greatly weakens the pectin causing the beans to soften much more rapidly.

Does adding baking soda to beans make them less gassy? ›

If beans make you uncomfortably gassy, sprinkle a little baking soda into their soaking water. It will reduce the volume of gas produced by the legumes, plus, they will cook quicker. If you're even shorter on time, you may want to try some of our favorite recipes to make with a can of black beans.

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