Commonly known as ‘Kala chana’ (Hindi) in India,
chickpeas are a part of the vegetarian diet in India. These are
basically legumes belonging to the Fabaceae family. The plants are short
in height and are mostly found in tropical and subtropical regions.
The seeds are excellent sources of protein. There are generally two varieties of chickpeas, ‘desi’ and ‘kabuli’. The ‘desi’ variety comprises of darker smaller seeds having a rough outer covering whereas the ‘kabuli’ variety are comparatively larger light colored beans with a smoother coat.
Black chickpeas, also known as Bengal grams, Garbanzo beans or ‘kala chana’ belong to the ‘desi’ variety and have a much higher fiber content and lower glycemic index. Being an extremely versatile legume, it is widely used in a variety of Middle Eastern and Indian dishes like falafels, hummus and curries as well as salads, soups and stews or even as a quick snack.
In addition to their delicious nut like taste and buttery texture, black chickpeas are extremely beneficial for health.
People from the ancient times also had associated chickpeas with Venus as the peas were believed to offer medical benefits like increasing sperm count and milk, provoking menstruation, and even aiding kidney stone treatment. The peas were quite popular with the Greeks, Egyptians, and the Romans. And explorers spread the peas all over the world as they traveled across oceans.
One cup of chickpeas (164 grams) contains 269 calories. It contains 4 grams of fat, 11 milligrams of sodium, and no cholesterol. It also contains 12 grams of dietary fiber. Other important nutrients in chickpeas include:
The seeds are excellent sources of protein. There are generally two varieties of chickpeas, ‘desi’ and ‘kabuli’. The ‘desi’ variety comprises of darker smaller seeds having a rough outer covering whereas the ‘kabuli’ variety are comparatively larger light colored beans with a smoother coat.
Black chickpeas, also known as Bengal grams, Garbanzo beans or ‘kala chana’ belong to the ‘desi’ variety and have a much higher fiber content and lower glycemic index. Being an extremely versatile legume, it is widely used in a variety of Middle Eastern and Indian dishes like falafels, hummus and curries as well as salads, soups and stews or even as a quick snack.
In addition to their delicious nut like taste and buttery texture, black chickpeas are extremely beneficial for health.
What Is The History Of Chickpea?
Chickpea is one of the earliest cultivated legumes – remains as old as 7,500 years were found in the Middle East. Domesticated chickpeas have been found in Neolithic pottery in certain parts of Turkey.People from the ancient times also had associated chickpeas with Venus as the peas were believed to offer medical benefits like increasing sperm count and milk, provoking menstruation, and even aiding kidney stone treatment. The peas were quite popular with the Greeks, Egyptians, and the Romans. And explorers spread the peas all over the world as they traveled across oceans.
One cup of chickpeas (164 grams) contains 269 calories. It contains 4 grams of fat, 11 milligrams of sodium, and no cholesterol. It also contains 12 grams of dietary fiber. Other important nutrients in chickpeas include:
- 14.5 grams of protein (29% of the daily value)
- 1.7 milligrams of manganese (84% of the daily value)
- 282 micrograms of folate (71% of the daily value)
- 0.6 milligrams of copper (29% of the daily value)
- 276 milligrams of phosphorus (28% of the daily value)
- 4.7 milligrams of iron (26% of the daily value)
- 78.7 milligrams of magnesium (20% of the daily value)
- 2.5 milligrams of zinc (17% of the daily value)
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