Chickpeas

So after a short delay, largely due to my burgeoning social life and a general lack of direction, I am back and the ingredient for this week is...CHICKPEAS.

Chickpeas are one of the oldest domesticated crops in the world. Archaeologists have found evidence of domesticated chickpeas dating back to 3500BCE in Jericho, and what is now Turkey. From Turkey and the Middle East the domestication of chickpeas spread west into Greece and across Europe and south east into the Indian subcontinent.

There are two main types of domesticated chickpeas: Desi, which are cultivated predominately in India and Iran, and Kabuli which are found in southern Europe and parts of northern Africa. However, there are 21 varieties found in a range of colours and shapes. Chickpeas are also known by a wide variety of names including garbanzo bean, Indian pea, ceci bean, bengal gram, Kabuli chana, kadale kaalu, sanaga pappu, shimbra and Kadala.

Chickpeas and chickpea flour are today used widely across the world in a variety of cuisines. It forms a staple of the Indian diet in a range of dishes in both in their whole form and as Bengal gram or chickpea flour. They form the key ingredient in humus and falafel, which is a favorite street food across the Middle East. Chickpeas have also not escaped the famous cuisines of Europe, finding their way into southern Italian dishes such as panelle and Spanish stews where pulses play a common role.