Quick-cook chickpea method saves time for festival preparations

As Navratri celebrations begin across India, many households are preparing traditional prasad offerings that feature chickpeas as a key ingredient. For those who forget to soak black chickpeas overnight, there is a practical solution that reduces cooking time significantly.

The technique involves adding a specific ingredient to the pressure cooker alongside unsoked chickpeas, which helps soften them quickly without the traditional overnight soaking period. This method has become popular among home cooks who need to prepare festival meals on short notice or have forgotten advance preparation steps.

The approach maintains the nutritional quality and taste of the chickpeas while reducing preparation time from several hours to under an hour. Many households across India rely on such cooking shortcuts during festival seasons when multiple dishes need to be prepared simultaneously.

This cooking hack has circulated widely among Indian home cooks through traditional knowledge and cooking communities. It proves particularly useful during Navratri when many households prepare chickpea-based dishes as part of their festive menu and religious observances.