Are soaked chickpeas meant to smell like bad drains?

[TheSkiingGardener]

That was the stench that greeted me as I drained off the soaking water this morning. Not very appetising.

are you sure it wasn't your drains? :o

I think pulses tend to smell a little odd...dampish/musty, I usually rinse them before soaking and change the water a couple of times.

I want last sunday's supper now, we had a fab lamb and chickpea curry, and i made my own naans.

Wow, sounds lovely. I am attempting falafels. Why I didn't just buy the chickpeas canned I do not know.

ooh i keep intending to make falafels

it's a great sounding word, would make a great insult :D

Are you going to cook the chickpeas, cos I am sure I read Jamie Oliver recipe, and he soaked them and blended them, and then just shaped and fired them...surely that's not right??

I often think Jamie Oliver seems to leave out a step or two in his recipes. He makes a lovely tarte tatin but leaves the whole vanilla pod in. Not exactly nice to eat and a bit crunchy I would have thought.

He's a right falafel.

Pulses often have a slightly earthy smell but they shouldn't smell like drains. I use a lot of dried pulses. Soak and cook the whole packet and then, when completely drained and cold, freeze in a thin layer in a big bag. That makes them convenient 'free-flow' like peas and much cheaper than cans.

Soaked, blitzed chickpeas can go straight into felafel.... Jamie is OK on that one. If the chickpeas are cooked you don't get the same texture.

Mmm, well I've cooked them now so is the texture completely shot? Oh well. I like the tip about freezing them as well. Thank you.

You'll have more of a beanburger texture. Not unpleasant but not as crunchy as it might be.