Chickpea Flour

Chickpea flour (also known as gram flour or besan) is of great importance in Indian cuisine, and in Italy, where it is used for the Ligurian farinata.

Made from dried chickpeas ground into a flour. Used in many countries, it is a staple ingredient in Indian, Pakistan, and Nepal cuisines. You can use this flour as an egg substitute in vegan cookery. You can substitute up to half the amount of all-purpose flour called for in a recipe with chickpea flour. It is also very easy to make your own Chickpea Flour by processing dried chickpeas in your blender or food processor.

Chickpea flour is great to coat vegetables for pakoras or to make flatbreads. It is pale yellow and powdery and has an earthy flavour best suited to savoury dishes. Gram flour contains no gluten and it is a delicious alternative to plain flour. Use besan as a batter, a tasty thickener in soups, or a binding agent for fritters and meatballs.

Recipes using Chickpea Flour see Here and Here and Here.