If you are using dried chickpeas then you should soak them overnight in plently of cold water, or use the quick method where the pulses are covered with water, brought to the boil, taken off the heat and left to soak for an hour.
Do chickpeas get soft?
Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) get soft when cooked for enough time. If your beans are not soft yet, they aren’t finished cooking. Soaking beans with either salt or baking soda can help soften beans before you cook them.
I’d cook the chickpeas for a while before adding the spice mixture. You can add a bit of baking soda to the chickpeas to help soften them up while they cook. As /u/bc2zb points out, a pressure cooker is a great way to get super soft beans.
This of course begs the inquiry “Should chickpeas be hard or soft when cooking?”
If you are cooking chickpeas for hummus, you’ll want the beans to be soft. If your chickpeas are still hard after the cook time we suggest and you want them to be softer, continue to simmer them or cook in the slow cooker until soft. Can you soak chickpeas too long?
What happens if you put chickpeas in water?
The chickpeas will absorb water which will make them soft and grow in size but still the water and even the chickpeas will overflow the container if you don’t use a container large enough to hold everything.
Dried chickpeas won’t feel soft after a good soak – you still need to cook them before making hummus or using them for another purpose. Soaking just allows for a more gentle and quicker cook. Put the soaked chickpeas in a lot of water with bay leaf (and a chunk of onion, if desired), bring just to the boil, skim the scum and simmer until tender.
How do you cook chickpeas without drying them out?
Put the soaked chickpeas in a lot of water with bay leaf (and a chunk of onion, if desired), bring just to the boil, skim the scum and simmer until tender. Should take about 30 minutes. I agree with Sarah Reinertsen on the techique here. I usually soak overnight and then cook for more like an hour at a simmer.
How to cook Dried chickpeas in a pan?
Quick soaking dried chickpeas: Tip your chickpeas into a saucepan and cover them with lots of cold water, bring to a boil (again add bicarbonate of soda, if you like) and then boil for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and leave to soak for 1 hour.
Why do my chickpeas take so long to cook?
If the chickpeas are old this could be slowing the softening process. I agree as well, except most of the time my chickpeas take an hour or so to cook. Want more Food52? Our best tips for eating thoughtfully and living joyfully, right to your inbox.