Chickpea

Chickpea, also called Bengal gram, is an annual legume and one of the earliest pulses ever cultivated. The bushy plant bears feathery leaves and short pods, each holding one or two seeds. India is the largest producer, and the seeds are a mainstay of Indian cooking.

Known as Chanaka in Sanskrit, chickpea is mentioned in Ayurvedic dietary texts as a nourishing pulse. Gram flour (besan) has long been used in traditional Indian skin care as a gentle face and body cleanser. The seed is the part used.