Kabuli Chickpeas: What They Are and How to Use Them
Learn about light-colored kabuli chickpeas, their flavor, forms and uses in cooking.
Kabuli chickpeas are the large, pale chickpeas commonly sold dried or canned. Also known as garbanzo beans or white chana, they have a mild, nutty flavor and a creamy center when cooked. They are the familiar base for many hummus recipes and are useful in salads, soups and curries.
If the label simply says “chickpeas,” the contents are often this pale type. Check the package if you need a particular variety for a recipe.
Kabuli versus kala chana
Kabuli chickpeas are generally larger, rounder and paler. Kala chana are dark-skinned desi chickpeas, usually smaller and more angular. They are related, but the darker type has a firmer skin and gives dishes a different appearance and texture.
Chana dal is made from split, skinned desi chickpeas; it is not simply a can of kabuli chickpeas cut in half. If a recipe calls for chana dal to cook into a particular consistency, use the specified pulse where possible.
Canned or dried?
Canned chickpeas are already cooked and are a practical shortcut. Drain and rinse if the recipe calls for it. They can go straight into a salad or be warmed in a sauce; the canning liquid, often called aquafaba, has uses in its own right when a recipe specifically calls for it.
Dried chickpeas need more planning. Sort and rinse, soak according to the packet or recipe, then cook in fresh water until tender. A chana masala recipe from Swasthi's Recipes suggests an overnight soak of at least eight hours. Time to tenderness varies with age, soaking and cooking method.
Soaked chickpeas are not interchangeable with cooked canned chickpeas in every recipe. For example, a falafel recipe may be designed around soaked, uncooked chickpeas that are ground and then cooked as part of the preparation. Follow that recipe rather than making a direct swap.
How to use cooked chickpeas
Blend them into hummus, toss them with vegetables and dressing, simmer them in chana masala, or add them to soup. For an especially smooth purée, use chickpeas cooked until very tender and adjust the liquid as you blend.