Detailed Product Description

Chickpea (Cicerarietinum)

ScientificClassification:

Kingdom:  Plantae

Division:   Magnoliophyta

Class:       Magnoliophyta

Order:       Fabales

Family:      Fabaceae

Subfamily: Faboideae

Genus:       Cicer

Species:    C.arietnum

Binomal Name: Cicer arietinum

Chickpea,garbanzo bean, Indian pea, ceci bean, bengal gram,hummus, kadale kaalu (Kannada), chanaor channa (Cicer arietinum) is an edible legume(English "pulse") of the family.

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. The garbanzo is often used as a source of protein by vegetarians and vegans since it has one of the highest protein levels of all plants.

Matured chickpea can be cooked and eaten cold in salads, cooked in stews, ground into a flour called gram flour (also known as besan and used 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 , cooked and ground into a paste called hummus or roasted, spiced and eaten as a snack (such as ). Chickpeas and bengal grams make excellent curries and are one of the most popular vegetarian foods.

One hundred grams of mature boiled chickpeas contains 164 calories, 2.6 grams of fat (of which only 0.27 grams is saturated), 7.6 grams of dietary fiber and 8.9 grams of protein.

Chickpeas are also a significant source of calcium(190 mg/100 g). Some sources cite the garbonzo as equal to yogurt and close tomilk.

According to the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, on average chickpea seeds contain:

• 23% protein
• 64% total carbohydrates (47% starch, 6% soluble sugar)
• 5% fat
• 6% crude fiber
• 3% ash