I have 3 bags of garbanzo beans and no grocery money for the week. I have some canned basics, all the pantry staples, milk, and eggs. What can I cook? It doesn't have to last all week. I just want to use it as its good protein.
Hummus, chickpea curry, falafel, after cooking let them cool season and roast for a crunchy snack or salad topping, smashed chickpea “tuna/chicken” salad, anywhere you’d use chicken use seasoned and roasted/sautéed chickpeas, on top of salads, in soups
Chickpea fritters
I just saw a YT for chickpea fritters
This was my thought…so yummy!
You'll need to soak them for 8-12 hours. You want about 1 cup dried beans to 3 cups water.
Then rinse and add fresh water, 1/2-1 T Salt and a splash of oil (to help keep it from bubbling over) and boil over med heat until they're the texture of canned garbanzo beans. This can take an hour or 2, just check it every 20 min or so and add water or adjust burner temperature.
After that, use just like canned beans. You can do a big pot at once and freeze in 2 cup portions (roughly the equivalent to one can of beans). They defrost super quickly
I like them in vege stir fries with leftover rice and whatever veges I have on hand.
Also, you can smash them up a bit and use them in place of ground meat in recipes like meatballs or make vege burgers. Super great texture in anything that requires you to fry it in oil
I like to marinate them in vinaigrette and then toss them on my salad.
My second favorite is falafel. Followed closely by Chana masala. And they also go well in Mexican fideo soup, or minestrone.
This! I ate it constantly when I was pregnant and people thought it was WEIRD.
Soak right now to cook tomorrow, cook the whole bag at a time
If your pantry staples include canned coconut milk and curry paste or powder that’s an awesome combo with chickpeas and whatever veggies are around- carrots and onions work well. Have with rice or bread
Just cooked cooled and tossed in vinaigrette with plenty of salt and pepper, eat semi smooshed in a sandwich or wrap
My pantry is better stocked than I thought. I didn't think I had either but I have both.
Bingo! Chickpea curry is awesome, even bare bones version, over some rice or pasta or toast or potatoes and you’ll be fed well for days
I actually like to toss them in oil with some seasonings then bake them on a pan at 350 for 45 minutes until crunchy as a snack. As far as meals tho… 🤷🏻♂️
He said “bag of garbanzos” so I’m assuming they are dry. In order to roast them he would have to at least soak them for an extended period first.
Yeah, you have to prep them no matter what
Hummus and chickpea curry.
I can't eat like 99% of beans without them really making me hate life, but soybeans are ok for me. I've been experimenting using them as a substitute for other types of beans and it honestly works pretty darn well. I imagine chickpeas might be similar. People even make flour with chickpeas. Relax tonight and do some googling while they soak. I did the same the first day the soybeans came. Then I divided up the beans after they were cooked the next day and made about 4 different meals with them for science. Learned spices are my friend and had a great time.
I've roasted and air fried soybeans for snacks, added to chili, made a knock off hummus (WAY better than I expected), marinated in an italian vinegrette type dressing and served as a side or salad topping, added them to a curry, smashed them to make a flavored mashed potato-esque paste. Possibilities are almost endless. I haven't tried falafel with soybeans yet, but sounds like fun.
Hummus
A cold balsamic salad
You could roughly mash them, mix with eggs and spices and breadcrumbs if you have them, and basically treat it as meatball mix. Shape and bake in oven, then if you have canned tomatoes and spices make a sauce, serve with pasta or on bread for meatball sandwiches.
Chickpeas simmered in pasta sauce (or a can of tomatoes with Italian seasoning) is a protein rich and filling dish. You can serve over rice or pasta.
Also, you can put an egg on top, kinda like shakshuka. Also works well with Indian seasonings and flavors.
I saw a recipe where they make garbanzo wraps they mush the garbanzos add buffalo sauce and spread on a tortilla wrap with lettuce and ranch! Looks delicious I’ve also eaten garbanzos out the can with lime and paprika, garlic seasoning it’s sooooo good
Cook them in water. Then drain and add garlic or garlic powder and puree. So good!
Once you've soaked them, and cooked them, instead of pureeing them, you can also make rice and (garbanzo) beans with them, or put them in tomato sauce, pasta sauce or heated diced tomatoes pantry that you like the taste of. I usually chop some fresh onion if I have it and include that in this kind of dish.
The pureed version is great to use as a dip, if you have any carrots or crackers or toast. It's really what hummus is.
Look up YouTube videos of stuff you can make with chickpeas. Chickpea fritters with a dipping sauce is nice too.
Chana Masala. Or any other chickpea curry.
My current favorite snack is roasted chickpeas. I make big batches and then season smaller portions differently. Some might be Cajun others might have an Asian flare.
Chick pea coconut curry! Throw in some chicken too
4 or 5 bean salad.
If you have access to a blender or food processor look up “pasta e cece” it’s a peasant Italian dish that takes very little ingredients and is forgiving if you need to make substitutions or omit something
Lol I made that last week. When I had money! I probably have enough ingredients to make it again.
Frugal and budget life my friend, we eat it almost weekly too because it’s economical yet tasty
I'd be living off of hummus. Fresh hummus is soooo delicious.
I cook then blend beans add some chicken broth powder and seasoning and have soup. Sometimes ad sour cream.
spanakakoritzo! if you don't have spinach then just the rice and chickpeas with the seasonings will be tasty (in fact idt it's traditional to ads chickpeas to spinach rice, but they're such a good addition)
if you have canned veggies and some pasta or barley you can make a real quick minestrone with them, which is a classic as well and holds up in the freezer in case you make too much soup.
roasted chickpeas like others have said, either as a snack or on top of a salad. if you put them on a salad you can marinate them beforehand in whatever vinaigrette you like or a homemade Greek marinade with red wine vinegar, eevoo, and salt/pepper/terragon/mint (+ whatever other herbs and spices you like)
can make a chicken salad knockoff with them also! basic salad dressing of mustard + mayo + vinegar + your favorite seasonings, they can be awesome in a wrap if you have tortillas but also good on crackers or just with a fork if you don't!
if you have sauce base staples (soy sauce, maple syrup or honey, hot sauce, etc) you can also look up some sticky chickpeas recipes where people use them as a meat replacement for sesame chicken or Sriracha honey type of situation.
I hope you like them! chickpeas are one of my favorites :)
Check youtuber "Spain in a fork" He has a lot of chickpeas recipes, some quite easy.
You can also leave your chickpeas overnight in water.
Next day you slightly dry them with a towel, oil them to make them sticky and spice them as you like. Spice them hard.
Put in the oven for 35 minutes 425 Fahrenheit or 220 Celsius Forgot to add: You will have a delicious healthy crunchy snack.
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