Simple and Filling! Chickpeas and Rice

     What is a staple food item for you? My go to is beans and rice! With Chickpeas / Garbanzo Beans they are my #2 for beans so they stay in rotation but I have one problem.... they don’t cook quickly. Like with all my beans, I soak them overnight which usually makes beans cook quicker but for me as I mentioned on my Instagram @clynnsart the brand of bean has made the difference. It seems like the more expensive, the better quality, and the water penetrates better which allows for quicker cooking and faster eating. Now don’t get me wrong, I am all about my don’t sleep on cheap, but if it cuts down cook time I am very appreciative. So here is how this dish came about...

     Like I mentioned I fully submerged all beans in water and let them sit overnight with a lid covering them. So the soak time was close to 15 hours, only because I planned ahead. Then when it was time to cook I rinsed the beans and picked out the weird ones. I got a pot and put the Chickpeas in and submerged them with water and a tablespoon of Canola Oil, that’s optional. Also there is always directions on how to cook beans on the back of the bag, I just have my own way.
Then I put them on high heat to bring it to a boil, then turn it down to medium high heat place a lid half on and leave it to start the rice.

     This rice is Jasmine Rice. Directions are on the back of the bag as well but... what I do is pour a cup full in a big bowl and cover with water. While holding the bowl on the counter with one hand, I use my other hand to swirl and swish the water to rise and clean it. As the water gets cloudy I pour out the water using a strainer then repeat the process. It takes around 5 times for the water to get clear then I put the rice in a pot cover with water, turn to high heat till it begins to bowl. Then at boiling I turn it down to medium high heat.  Then back to the beans.

     The beans took all of 45 minutes which is the quickest so far. Half way through cooking I added a cup of water, Himalayan Pink Salt, Black Ground Pepper and Onion Powder all from the Dollar Tree Store.  I also like to squash a quarter of the beans to make there own sauce. When they are done they will mash easily, then cut off the stove. Then back to the rice.

     The rice took about 20 minutes, it should be stirred occasionally to prevent clumping then add the same seasonings that were in the beans and a tablespoon of Canola Oil. When water is half gone test rice for softness by tasting a few. At this point it depends on what you like. Do you prefer mushy rice or a little bite? That will determine if it needs longer to cook. When it’s done turn off the stove and plate it up. Or whichever pot is bigger dump the other item in it and mix it up, season it more to your tastebuds, then plate and EAT!  Now on to the next blog,

Later, Crystal
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