Bodrum Boiled Chickpeas – 800 g

Bodrum cooked chickpeas come in an 800 g pack, already boiled and ready to use. Sold in Turkey as haşlanmış nohut, they save you the overnight soak and the hour of simmering that dried chickpeas need, so you can make hummus, stews and salads on a weeknight.

Why buy them cooked

Dried chickpeas are cheap and good, but they take planning. You have to remember to soak them the night before, then cook them until tender. Cooked chickpeas skip both steps. Open the pack, drain and rinse, and they are ready for the pan or the blender. The 800 g size is larger than a standard can, which makes it useful for families and for recipes such as hummus, where you need a good amount at once.

Bodrum is a Turkish brand whose pickles, spices and preserves are also on our shelves. For the drained weight, ingredients, salt content and storage advice, check the label.

A quick dip

Homemade hummus is quick with cooked chickpeas. Put about 400 g of drained chickpeas in a food processor with three tablespoons of tahini, the juice of a lemon, one small garlic clove, a pinch of salt and a few spoons of cold water. Blend for several minutes, scraping down the sides, until very smooth. Taste and add more lemon, salt or water. Serve in a shallow bowl with olive oil, a pinch of cumin and pul biber on top.

For extra smooth hummus, warm the chickpeas briefly in a little water before blending, or take a few minutes to pop the skins off. Hummus keeps in the fridge for three or four days in a covered bowl with a thin layer of olive oil on top.

Other ways to use cooked chickpeas

Stews and soups

Turkish nohut yemeği is chickpeas cooked with onion, tomato and pepper paste, often with a little lamb or beef. With cooked chickpeas it takes about half an hour. Chickpeas also go into vegetable soups, tagines and spinach dishes. A simple version for a quick supper: soften an onion in olive oil, add a spoon of tomato paste and a pinch of cumin, then the drained chickpeas and a cup of water. Simmer for fifteen minutes and serve with rice and yoghurt.

Salads

• Toss with tomato, cucumber, red onion, parsley, lemon and olive oil.
• Mix with roasted peppers, feta and olives.
• Add to a bulgur or rice salad for protein.

Snacks

Dry the chickpeas well, toss with olive oil, salt and paprika or cumin, and roast in a hot oven until crisp. They make a crunchy snack and a topping for soups and salads.

Pilaf

Add a handful to rice or bulgur pilaf as it cooks. Nohutlu pilav, rice with chickpeas, is a classic Turkish side dish served with chicken or meat.

Storage

Store unopened packs as the label directs. Once opened, keep any leftover chickpeas in a covered container in the fridge and use them within two to three days. You can also freeze cooked chickpeas in portions, drained and dried, for up to a few months.

Order Bodrum chickpeas online

Robin Food delivers across the UK, with same-day delivery available in many London areas. If you prefer to cook from dried, choose Duru Koçbaşı Chickpeas. For hummus, add Koska Tahini, and for a quick stew, Öncü Mixed Paste.