Does anyone cook dried chickpeas in a slow-cooker?

[lolalotta]

If so, are they tasty? I'm tired of using tinned chickpeas that are crunchy, I want them soft! I thought I might try cooking them from scratch...I would live to know any tips please! Thank you!

You usually have to boil all beans before cooking to kill toxins. I don't know TBH if chick peas come into that category but I have used a slow cooker- and can't see chick peas being really cooked unless you soak them overnight and boil for a while before adding to your slow cooker- which only ever simmers very gently.

We have a pot on right now! Soaked a 500g bag's worth in lots of water overnight, then into slow cooker covered with about 1cm of water, 1tsp ground cumin, bay leaf. Has been on low for about 6 hours and are getting to the perfectly creamy stage. Will throw half into tomorrow's lamb tagine and the other half will go into the freezer to someday become hummus or chana punjabi or into a salad.

The soaking and the cumin is to reduce their farty qualities.

Right, I have some soaking now and I am going to put them in the slow cooker tonight on a timer for about 6 hours so they are ready in the morning for me to make a potato and chickpea curry for tomorrow evening! I hope this works...I have always avoided chickpea recipes as I hate the texture if tinned ones! Wish me luck!

"The soaking and the cumin is to reduce their farty qualities."

I didn't know cumin helped as well. I love the taste of cumin, so will give it a try.

I stopped buying dried chickpeas because I kept boiling them dry and ruined loads of pans.

I buy dried chickpeas, soak the whole packet (500g) overnight and boil next day ... rapidly for the first 10 mins then simmer for another 30- 40 mins until tender (depends on how fresh the chickpeas are). I then drain them well, allow to go properly cold and freeze in a thin layer in a big freezer bag. Once frozen this way they stay separate and can be used in future dishes ready-cooked.

A lot of frothy scum comes off them in that first 10 minutes which I scoop off with a slotted spoon and ditch. I wouldn't like that to stay in a dish.

I feel inspired by this thread to do the same.

So I soaked the chickpeas for 6 hours, then I boiled them for 10 mins to release any toxins, I rinsed them and now they are sat in the slow cooker in 3 times the quantity of water and the timer is due to kick off at 1.00am on low..hopefully I will be waking up to some beautifully cooked chickpeas...that's if I set the timer correctly!
I will report back on wether it works or not! I hope so am pregnant and craving potato and chickpea curry...

Yes I did I put some in the slow cooker overnight in cold water to
Soak. Then in the morning I put them on low (for 8hrs) then mushed half of them and added some chopped tomatoes, garlic, paprika and cooked sausage and served with pasta.

Were they tasty Jayne?

Never done pulses in the slow cooker will try that next time. I do mine in the pressure cooker and freeze in bags ready to lob into stews/casseroles etc

I soaked mine overnight, rinsed and then lobbed them in the slow cooker on medium. Can't remember how long they were in - I kept checking them until they were done how I liked them. Probably about 6 hours? Much cheaper and nicer than tins! I froze them in small batches for future use.

You can get lovely soft yummy chick peas in tins - but they are only found on the Asian foods aisle of the supermarket in with the asian food brands. Look for brands such as Natco or KTC. They are a million miles better than the horrid supermarket own ones - plumper, softer and just yum really. And 30-40p a tin!

I cook cannellini beans straight from the packet in the slow cooker.

Thanks for the tip Selks

So it looks like the low setting on my slow cooker was too low as they weren't cooked through after 6 hrs! Perhaps I had to much water to chickpeas so it never got hot enough? I suppose it will take a little bit to get to know my slow cooker...I have only ever made porridge in it before! I have whacked it up to high now...no medium setting so we shall see if that works!

Lola, when you put them into your cooker, did you add hot water (out of the kettle) or cold? Cold water takes an age to heat up in the slow cooker!

FishandJam COLD!!!!! I don't think the water ever got hot properly in the end, next time should I sit them in boiling water to start them off? Thanks for the tip!

Ok, so abandoned the slow cooker in the end and cooked the chick peas for 2 hrs in a saucepan...and they NEVER cooked until soft despite all my efforts! (Maybe the beans were old?) So went to Tesco's in the end and bought some of there Organic chick peas (they are packed in a Tetra pack rather than a tin incase you look for them) and they are SOFT AND LOVELY AND TASTED PERFECT!
So after all that I got my curry still annoyed I couldn't cook my own though! Just thought I'd update!

Yeah, boiling water to start! (Am drooling at your curry, it sounds delish...)

Good tip re Tesco chickpeas BTW.

Fishandjam it was this potato and chickpea curry from here! Mine didn't look quite like the picture but it was very good!

Bit bland for me I needed more spice but DH loved it AND I got him to eat chickpeas as he won't eat them normally.

Not surprised yours didn't look like the picture Lola. That's got courgette in it, but the recipe doesn't list that pertikerlar fruiting body as an ingredient