Chickpeas are from the legume family and are native to the Mediterranean. But they are actually eaten all round the world. In India and Pakistan, chickpeas are known as ‘chana’ and are used in curries and well as being ground into a flour called gram flour. The flour is used to make pancakes and fritters, especially in India and Italy. Whole dried chickpeas can also be sprouted and added to salads.

In Middle Eastern countries, hummus is popular and they are also ground and shaped into balls which are then fried and known as falafels. They are also known as garbanzo beans. Chickpeas are very versatile and can be eaten cooked and cold.

As well as being versatile, chickpeas are also very healthy. They are a good source of zinc, folate, calcium and magneisum and in many vegetarian cultues are a major source of protein. Chickpeas have a low glycemic index, as they are high in dietary fibre as well as protein and are a good source of carbohydrates for people with blood sugar problems, diabetes or who want to lose weight. They are a very good source of phytoestrogens because they contain all four isoflavones.

Chickpeas have been shown to lower total cholesterol, LDL (‘bad’ cholesterol) and glucose and so may have to part to play in reducing the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. In one clinical trial, people with at least one cardiovascular risk factor or a family history of heart diease were given chickpeas in the form of canned cooked chickpeas and in bread and biscuits containing 30% chickpea flour for five weeks and then switched back to their usual diet for five weeks, some had their usual diet for five weeks and then switched to the ‘chickpea’ diet for five weeks. The ‘chickpea’ diet for just five weeks significantly reduced the levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 1st, 2007 at 1:05 am and is filed under Ingredient Spotlights. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.