Is It A Chickpea or A Garbanzo Bean?

The Garbanzo Bean goes by many names including Chickpea.

I recently started creating Chickpea flour in my grain mill. This was an experiment conducted in response to a question from my mother. The results were quite pleasing.

Next question: What do I use it for? A quick internet search indicated that I could substitute it for all-purpose flour. But, for every one cup of chickpea flour use 3/4 cup all-purpose flour.

Being one that prefers simplicity I decided to experiment with a 1:1 ratio. This was a wonderful experience. I am now on the quest to discover what other things I can use this flour for. I did order 5lbs of chickpeas to turn into more flour. Azure Standard is my preferred source.

So far I have made:

Sour Milk Pancakes

Waffles using the Sour Milk Pancake recipe

Biscuits

Sausage Gravy

Tortillas

The very first thing that I noticed was that everything cooked the same as it usually does. It was not obvious that I had changed any ingredients except that the biscuits did not raise as high as normal. It created a silky appearance and texture in the gravy. The best thing that I noticed was we filled up faster and did not get hungry as early as normal. My normally picky male eater did not question anything and enjoyed the meals.

I did use it as a substitute for the corn flour in my tortilla recipe. That did not turn out as well because the dough was too wet. However, I did try to cook some. The taste was a different flavor profile but not anything that turned us off. It was simply different. I will try this again with a different recipe.

Nutritional Benefits of Chickpeas Include: protein, fiber, as well as a number of vitamins and minerals. This is a nutritionally dense food. And, we saw the effects of that increased nutrition.

Possible Health Benefits:

Improved Digestion:

The fiber content encourages proper elimination which removes toxins from your body.

Blood Sugar Regulation:

Slow digesting starch prevents blood sugar spikes.

Weight Management:

Decreases poor nutritional choices because your body is satisfied.

Bone Health:

Phosphorus and magnesium are essential for strong bones.

Brain & Nervous System Health:

Choline helps to regulate memory, mood, muscle control and other body functions.

In summary:

I will keep experimenting. It is such an enjoyable experience to find something that is easy and nutritionally dense. Bonus, decreased food expenses.

At lunch my mother asked what I would prefer if we were not eating the homemade chili and chickpea tortillas. My response was homemade chili that tasted better and my sourdough tortillas.

Preparing food at home does take time and energy but with practice the investment of time decreases and every step of the way our health improves.

What is your favorite Chickpea dish?