Chickpea Milk- Homemade

Chickpea milk- voilà!

I used to buy soy milk when I needed a non dairy alternative to milk, but it was quite expensive. I learned how to make my own soy milk, and for a while, made that instead. I've since learned about many health issues related to soy, and now try to avoid it as much as possible. According to iParentingLife.com, while there are other non dairy alternatives to soy milk out there, they're usually expensive to buy or even make. I heard about the concept of chickpea milk as a soy milk alternative but couldn't find instructions, so I just figured it out on my own.
The taste is quite good, and remarkably similar to soy milk.

Chickpea Milk Recipe

Ingredients
2-3 cups of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
Water
Honey, sucanat, or sugar (to taste)
Salt (to taste)

Equipment Needed
Large container
Food Processor (I use the attachment on my blender stick)
Large pot
Colander
Cheese cloth (I use a thin white cloth napkin)
Weight (I use a small bowl filled with water)

Instructions


1. Soak the chickpeas in water overnight. Make sure to put in lots of water because the chickpeas expand and absorb a lot. (Don't put the chickpeas in a tall, narrow container or they will get stuck once they expand.) When they finish soaking, they should be soft enough to bite.

Soaked chickpeas

2. Blend the chickpeas until they form as smooth a paste as possible. You'll need to add some water and also stop the machine periodically to push down the sides no no unblended parts remain.

3. Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil on the stove. (Do not overfill as chickpea milk has a tendency to bubble over.)

4. When the water is boiling, add the chickpea paste to the water, mix, and let it cook on a medium heat for 20 minutes or so. You'll want to mix it periodically and stand on guard because the chickpea milk will probably boil over. The bad news is there's not much you can do to prevent it. You can stop it mid-boil over by lowering the flame and pouring a cup of cold water on the foamy mess, but it only works partially. The good news is that once the boiled over chickpea milk on the stove dries, it flakes off very easy and is quite a breeze to clean.

5. Strain the milk. Chickpea milk is a bit thicker than soy milk, so the straining process needs to be a drop different. Either strain through a mesh strainer into a large container, or line a collander with a cheese cloth. Usually when straining through a cheese cloth, you simply let it drip, but chickpea milk is too thick to simply drip through- it must be pressed through. Tie the cheese cloth and put a weight on it, like a bowl filled with water, or simply wait till the chickpea milk cools down enough to handle and squeeze out the milk by hand.

Two straining cheesecloth/napkins, because one wasn't big enough..

Alternatively, simply pour through a fine mesh strainer, and let gravity do it's magic. This way will result in a slightly thicker milk.

You may need to use a spoon to make sure the strainer doesnt get blocked.

6. Fix it up. Water down the chickpea milk and add salt and sweetener to taste. I usually put less than a tablespoon of each and water down the chickpea milk quite a bit.

Chickpea milk- voilà!

7. When making soy milk, the soy bean leftovers are called okara. I call our leftovers chickpea okara, and they can be used in many dishes, some of which I hope to share soon.

8. Enjoy!

Have you ever heard of chickpea milk before? Have you ever made any non dairy milks at home? What type? What is your favorite non dairy milk?


Linking up with Vegetarian Foodie Friday, Food on Fridays, Fight Back Friday, and Foodie Friday.