Chickpeas - Protein-rich Legume, White & Green Varieties For Versatile Culinary Uses

The chickpeas is an edible legume (English "pulse") of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. This is often used as a source of protein by vegetarians and vegans since it has one of the highest protein levels of all plants. There are two main kinds of chickpeas 1.white chick peas 2.green chick peas The plant grows to between 20 and 50 cm high and has small feathery leaves on either side of the stem. One seedpod contains two or three peas. The flowers are white or sometimes reddish-blue. Chickpeas need a subtropical or tropical climate with more than 400 mm of annual rain. They can be grown in a temperate climate but yields will be much lower. Mature chickpeas can be cooked and eaten cold in salads, cooked in stews, ground into a flour called gram flour (also known as besan and used in primarily in Indian cuisine), ground and shaped in balls and fried as falafel, fermented to make an alcoholic drink similar to sake, stirred into a batter and baked to make farinata, cooked and ground into a paste called hummus or roasted, spiced and eaten as a snack (such as leblebi).