Chickpea or Bengal gram , Cicer arietinum
After studying red bean and green mung plants, you might be a bit curious about what the chickpea plant looks like.
🐥🫛The chickpea or Bengal gram ( Cicer arietinum) is an edible legume and an annual herb.
🌿The plant grows to between 20 and 50 cm high and has feathery, pinnately compound leaves on either side of the stem, with small soft leaflets.
🌸The flowers are white with purple veins or sometimes the petals themselves are purplish. One seedpod contains two or three peas/ seeds.
🐥🫛The seed is green when young and matures to a beige or brown colour when dried . The young green seeds are consumed raw or cooked and the dried seeds are cooked as part of many Middle Eastern and Indian dishes like the Hummus and Chana Masala to name a few.
❤️🩹🥗HEALTH BENEFITS OF CHICKPEA
Chickpea is a rich source of vegetarian protein . It is also rich in folate, fibre and vitamins of the B group as well as calcium and magnesium. It is believed to enhance overall body vigour and strength. But it must be cooked properly as it contains saponins and may be difficult to digest by some people.
🫛🌿Common name: Chickpea, Bengal gram
Scientific name: Cicer arietinum
Family: Fabaceae
Native to the Middle East and India
References: Wikipedia
Reference
Plants of Singapore