Name: Chickpeas Cooked in a Slow Cooker
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 7 h
Total time: 7 h 3 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 350g (2 cups) dried chickpeas; Water to cover

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Cooking chickpeas in a slow cooker is my preferred method.

The problem with purchasing dried chickpeas is that they take some time to cook. Some recipes call for soaking the chickpeas first which you might also find a bit fussy. Why not just use tinned (canned) chickpeas?

Because, cooking dried chickpeas will get you better results and it's a lot less expensive! That's right... you will get a lot more for your money.

About this recipe.

What I like most about cooking chickpeas in a slow cooker is that you can simply pour them in with some water and let the slow cooker do all the work. With this recipe, there is no need to soak the chickpeas first and there is also no need to stand over your pan skimming.

All you have to do is let them cook to your preferred doneness.

How can you use chickpeas cooked in a slow cooker?

The same way you would use them if you use canned or chickpeas cooked in a pot. There are endless recipes that call for chickpeas from curries like this chicken and chickpea karahi and Pakistani chickpea biryani to chickpea salads, roasted chickpeas and creamy smooth hummus.

How long do you need to slow cook the chickpeas?

I recommend cooking the chickpeas on high for 6 to 10 hours depending on how you plan to use them.

For recipes such as curries, 6 to 7 hours will do the job. If you plan on blending the chickpeas for hummus, you can let them cook much longer.

Remember, this is slow cooking. You can alway lift the lid and check to see if they are ready and cooked to your preferred doneness.

How do you know when the slow cooked chickpeas are ready?

This is completely down to you. If using in a salad, you might want to cook them so that they are the same texture to canned chickpeas.

The same applies to many curries. When cooking a chickpea curry they will continue to soften when cooking the curry.

When preparing hummus, I like them to be very soft before blending.

Please note that the size and age of the chickpeas you are cooking will affect the cooking times.

How long can you store the cooked chickpeas in the fridge?

You can store your cooked chickpeas in the fridge in an air tight container for at least 4 days. I recommend covering them with some of the cooking liquid if you do as it will almost always come in handy.

You can also freeze the chickpeas for about 6 months in convenient sized portions, again with some of the cooking liquid. If you do decided to freeze them, be sure to label and date the container.

Can you up or downscale this recipe?

Yes. 175g of dried chickpeas (1 cup) will make two cups of chickpeas as they will double in size when cooked.

Most slow cookers are large enough to cook a lot more than I cooked in this recipe.

Step by step photographs.

The chickpeas ready to wash before cooking. — Wash the chickpeas before cooking them and also check and pick out any stones.

The dry chickpeas in.a pot to wash before cooking. — Cover the washed chickpease with about 7.5cm (3 inches) of water.

The chickpea after cooking for 6 hours. — After cooking for 6 hours mine were like this and ready to use. Very similar in doneness to canned chickpeas.

Smashing a chickpea between two fingers. — After 6 to 7 hours you will easily be able to easily smash them between your fingers.

Yield: 4 to 6

Chickpeas Cooked in a Slow Cooker

Prep Time 3 minutes

Cook Time 7 hours

Total Time 7 hours 3 minutes

Ingredients

350g (2 cups) dried chickpeas
Water to cover

Instructions

Wash the chickpeas thoroughly and pick out any stones if you see any before cooking.
Pour the washed chickpeas into your slow cooker and cover with about 7.5cm (3 inches) of water. You can always add a little boiling water if needed later in cooking.
Cook for 6 to 10 hours depending on how you are using the chickpeas.