Chickpeas, Fabulous Food.

 Versatile, cheap and yummy.

The other day I got a packet of dried chickpeas from our local Indian grocer. 800 g for 3 euros. When one sees the packet of dried chickpeas, one doesn't realize just how versatile they are.

Usually I cook half a packet. First they have to be soaked overnight and then cooked for about an hour. Afterwards I am always amazed at how big the pot of chickpeas gets. They swell with water and what seems like a small amount when dry, turns into oodles of cooked chickpeas.

That 400 g of dried chickpeas equates to at least four proper meals if not more. Already I have made a small batch of hummus, a big lunchtime salad ( lovely with onions, fresh coriander, garlic and olive oil ) and might make some burger patties out of rest tonight. Friday is after all burger night! The amount of beans left makes enough burger patties for 6 burgers. Two are mostly leftovers for the next day and they taste divine cold with a generous dollop of mayonnaise. 

So, a mere 1,5 euro's worth of chickpeas does provide us with several meals, not to mention a whole lot of protein. Isn't that what everyone wants to know about when confronted with veganism?

A little known fact which is really the most important. Beans ( pulses ) eaten at one meal ensure that at the next meal only half the calories of it are absorbed.( Obviously not a meal made up of ice cream chips & chocolate! ) The rest never have a chance to settle anywhere before they are moved along. Who wouldn't want a meal to only register as half the caloric content?

Another bonus of eating pulses is that they are so cheap. Should times get tough, a few bags of dried beans, a few bags of rice, onions and potatoes can provide ample and nutritious food while saving money.

Biggi