Middle Eastern
Silky Hummus
Very smooth hummus from canned chickpeas, blended with tahini, lemon and ice water.
Ingredient guide
Chickpeas
Chana chaat, chana masala, hummus and salads. Dried chickpeas cooked at home are cheaper and creamier; canned ones are ready in minutes.
Popular recipes
All 9 Cook with chickpeas
Pakistani
Chana Chaat
Tangy chickpea salad with potato, onion, tomato and tamarind chutney. The iftar favourite that works any afternoon.
Indian
Chana Masala
Chickpeas in a dark, tangy onion-tomato masala with amchur and garam masala. Pantry cooking at its best.
Pakistani
Shami Kabab (Beef and Chana Daal Patties)
Soft, well-spiced patties of beef and split chickpeas, with a fresh mint, onion and green chilli centre. Shallow-fried until crisp outside, they suit tea time and Ramadan tables.
Pakistani
Papri Chaat with Chickpeas, Yogurt and Tamarind Chutney
Crisp fried papri topped with spiced chickpeas, potato, cool yogurt and sweet-sour tamarind chutney. A quick street-style snack that is ready in minutes once the papri are made.
Pakistani
Lauki Chana Daal (Bottle Gourd and Split Chickpea Curry)
Soft cubes of bottle gourd simmered with split chickpeas in a light ginger-tomato masala, finished with a sizzling cumin and red chilli ghee tarka. A gentle, filling weekday lunch.
Pakistani
Lahori Chanay (Tea-Simmered Chickpea Curry for Breakfast)
A thick, deeply coloured chickpea curry in the style of Lahore's breakfast stalls, simmered with black tea and finished with ginger and lemon. Scoop it up with puri, kulcha or hot naan.
Pakistani
Chana Daal with Onion-Tomato Masala and Garlic Tarka
Split chickpeas simmered until tender but still whole, then folded into a golden onion-tomato masala and finished with a sizzling garlic and cumin tarka. A hearty everyday lunch for rice or roti.
Cooking tips
- Soak dried chickpeas 8–12 hours; a pinch of baking soda softens them faster.
- Keep the cooking liquid (aquafaba) to thicken curries.
- Peel canned chickpeas for the smoothest hummus.
Substitutions
- White beans for chickpeas in hummus
- Black chana (kala chana) for a firmer chaat
Storage
Dried: up to a year in an airtight jar. Cooked: 4 days in the fridge or 3 months frozen in their liquid.
Preparation
Pressure cook soaked chickpeas 20–25 minutes, or simmer 60–90 minutes until very tender.