Chick peas make a famous Punjabi dish when cooked with spices, onions, garlic, and served with fresh coriander leaves. When eaten with pita bread, chick peas make a hearty vegetarian meal.

Also known as Garbanzo is one of the main kinds of Chick Peas which are light colored, smoother coat and larger seeds which is mostly cultivated in southern Europe, Chile, and Afghanistan and were introduced to the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Chick peas can be cooked and eaten as salads or they can be grounded into gram flour (also known as besan is primarily used in the Indian cuisine) and is used as a batter for coating various types vegetables or meat before frying.