The chickpea, also popularly known as chana or Bengal gram, is an edible legume that comes from the Fabaceae family and the Faboideae subfamily. The Bengal gram can grow to about 20 inches in height and its seedpod contains about two or three peas. The plant has white coloured flowers decorated with pink, violet or blue veins.

The most common type of chickpea is round and beige, other varieties come in colours such as black, green, and red. Chickpeas are rich in protein, fibre content and also contains key vitamins and minerals. There are many possible health benefits associated with consuming chickpeas such as reducing blood pressure and diabetes, lowering cholesterol as well as promoting bone growth and digestion.