Chickpea flour is a gluten-free flour that is a traditional ingredient in Indian cuisine, but one that is gaining popularity in the West as an alternative to wheat flour.
You're probably familiar with chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans. It's perhaps best known as the main ingredient in dishes like hummus, falafel and chana masala. So is chickpea flour simply ordinary chickpeas that have been ground up? The answer is: yes and no.
Fast Facts
It's made from ground-up chickpeas.
It is also called gram flour or besan.
Can be used as a thickener or binding agent for batters.
What is Chickpea Flour?
There are a couple of different types of chickpea flour, and the main difference between them is that they're made from two different types of chickpeas: kabuli chickpeas, which are the common tan-colored chickpeas you're probably most familiar with, and desi chickpeas, which are smaller and with rougher hulls. Desi chickpeas also come in darker colors, from green to brown to nearly black, depending on when the seedpods are harvested.
The traditional kind of chickpea flour, which is sometimes called gram flour, or besan, is made from the brown version of desi chickpeas, which are also known as kala chana or Bengal chickpeas. To produce the flour, the dark hulls are removed from dried chickpeas, and then the inner seed is split. The resulting split chickpea is sometimes called chana dal, which can lead to a bit of confusion, as the word dal often refers to lentils. Indeed, the hulled and split desi chickpeas do resemble yellow lentils or yellow split peas.
But they are in fact chickpeas. While lentils, peas, and chickpeas all come from the same botanical family, Fabaceae, they're different species.
Chickpea Flour Varieties
In any case, one version of chickpea is flour is made by grinding the chana dal into a fine powder. This is the version known as besan or gram flour.
The other version is made by grinding up dried kabuli chickpeas, the common tan-colored ones, to make a flour. This is also called chickpea flour.
And the two products are similar, though not identical. Besan, made from desi chickpeas will be finer and denser. Whereas chickpea flour made from ordinary garbanzos will be a bit coarser, and fluffier. The flavor will be similar, but the biggest difference is in how much liquid you'll need to produce a batter with the same consistency. Besan will require less water.
Ideally, the recipe you are following will specify what type of chickpea flour to use for any given preparation. Even better is to use recipes that are either on the package of chickpea flour you're using or are provided by the manufacturer on their website. Bob's Red Mill chickpea flour, for instance, is made from ground garbanzo beans.
How to Use Chickpea Flour
Chickpea flour can be used as a binding ingredient in fritters and veggie burgers, as a thickener for sauces, soups and stews, for making flatbreads and batter-based foods like pancakes and waffles, and to make batters for deep-frying other foods. It's also a great ingredient to combine with other gluten-free flours for making quickbreads, cookies and muffins.
What Does It Taste Like?
Like other flours, chickpea flour has a neutral flavor, and dishes prepared with it will derive their flavors from the flavorings, seasonings, oils, fats and main ingredients that the dish consists of, rather than from the chickpea flour itself. If you were to taste it straight from the container, it would have a dry, bland, powdery flavor.
Chickpea Flour Recipes
- Garbanzo Flatbread
- Moroccan Chickpea Flour and Egg Tart
- Ligurian Chickpea Pancake
In addition, this recipe for veggie burgers made from chickpeas, suggests as a variation using chickpea powder as a binding agent.
Where to Buy Chickpea Flour
You can find chickpea flour at the supermarket or specialty food stores, at Indian and South Asian grocery stores, and online.
Chickpea Flour Storage
Chickpea flour can be stored at room temperature in a tightly sealed, airtight container, for about six months, or longer if kept in the refrigerator. In the freezer, if stored properly, it should keep for 1 to 2 years.
Make Your Own Chickpea Flour
One way to sort out the confusion relating to which kind of chickpea flour you're using is to grind it yourself from whatever type of chickpea you choose. Obviously, ordinary dried garbanzo beans are much more widely available, but if you have access to an Indian grocery store near you, you will probably be able to get your hands on some of the less common types of chickpeas. Again, look for products with names such as split chickpeas, chana dal, split bengal gram or split desi chickpeas.
Or you can simply grind your own regular chickpeas to make your own chickpea flour.
Basically, once you've obtained your chickpeas, it's a simple matter of grinding them in a high-speed blender (such as a Vitamix blender), which will grind two cups of dried chickpeas into a powder in about 45 seconds.
Alternative Starches for Every Lifestyle
FAQs
Chickpea flour is dried chickpeas ground into powder form. It is widely used as a gluten-free alternative to wheat flour. It is used throughout traditional Indian and Mediterranean dishes. The flour is especially useful as a binding agent in falafel and other patties.
What do you use chickpea flour for? ›
But chickpea flour, Love explains, "is a naturally dense flour, and because of that denseness, and its innate binding tendencies, it lends baked goods a sturdy yet tender texture when mixed with other gluten-free flours. So, for quick breads, muffins, and cakes, it holds up extremely well."
Can I use chickpea flour instead of all-purpose flour? ›
Chickpea flour is more versatile than you might think. It can be used, in part, in decadent baked goods like banana bread and cupcakes, or in classic breakfast dishes such as pancakes and crepes. It's also the perfect substitute for white flour in savory staples like meatballs, pizza dough, and dumplings.
Is chickpea flour healthier than all-purpose flour? ›
Chickpea flour is full of healthy nutrients. It's a great alternative to refined wheat flour, as it's lower in carbs and calories yet richer in protein and fiber. Research suggests that it may have antioxidant potential and could decrease levels of the harmful compound acrylamide in processed foods.
Is chickpea flour the same as garbanzo flour? ›
Gram flour, also called besan, garbanzo flour, or chickpea flour, is made from ground chickpeas, which are naturally gluten-free. Chickpeas also have many names, including garbanzo beans, garbanzo, gram, Bengal gram, Egyptian pea, cici beans, chi chi beans and cece beans.
Does chickpea flour taste like regular flour? ›
It's made from dried chickpeas that are ground into a flour. It pretty much tastes like you might expect: It's nutty and a touch buttery, like whole chickpeas themselves. The ingredient is common in Indian cuisine, where it's often used to make an array of sweets and fried snacks, such as ladoo, chakli, and sev.
Is chickpea flour anti inflammatory? ›
Chickpea flour is also a terrific anti-inflammatory food, as consuming beans has been shown to have anti-inflammatory abilities and protective benefits against cancer — in particular cancer within the digestive tract, including colon, stomach and kidney cancer.
Is chickpea flour just ground up chickpeas? ›
Chickpea flour is known as garam flour or garbanzo bean flour and it is made by grinding dried chickpeas. A staple in Indian and Pakistani cuisine, chickpea flour is commonly found in Asian and Middle Eastern groceries, but you can also make it yourself at home with a spice grinder or coffee grinder.
Why do people use chickpea flour? ›
Chickpea flour is used throughout the Mediterranean, the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa to make sweet and savory flatbreads, thicken soups and stews, and add richness to dumplings and cakes. It is the main ingredient in shiro wat, a hearty, spicy Ethiopian stew laced with tomatoes and onions.
Does chickpea flour rise? ›
Chickpea flour is gluten-free, so it won't rise or form a light, spongy crumb like bread made with wheat flour, but it is suitable for pikelets, pancakes and muffins or to thicken a stew or gravy.
By improving feelings of fullness, the study authors say that switching to a cellular chickpea blend in commercial bread recipes could help people stop overeating. As the flour doesn't cause as high a spike in blood sugar levels as normal white flour, it could also reduce the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
What flour is closest to chickpea flour? ›
Almond Flour
It imparts a slightly nutty flavor and makes an excellent substitute. To substitute, you can use almond flour for chickpea flour in a 1:1 ratio. Almond flour tends to be more moist, so you might need to adjust the liquid content in your recipe slightly.
Is chickpea flour good for gut health? ›
It supports a healthy gut microbiome and can help alleviate digestive issues like bloating and indigestion. Blood Sugar Control: Besan has a low glycemic index, meaning it causes a slower and steadier rise in blood sugar levels compared to refined wheat flour.
How do I substitute chickpea flour for all purpose? ›
You can usually substitute half the amount of plain flour in a recipe for chickpea flour. But, be warned, it can suck up a lot of moisture, so it may not be right for every recipe – especially if you're making a cake or bread.
What is another name for chickpea flour? ›
Besan or gram flour is a pulse flour made from chana dal or chickpea flour (split Bengal gram) or brown/kaala chana, a chickpea.
How to use chickpea flour in baking? ›
Muffins, Cookies, and Quick Breads
Though you can mix it with other flours (gluten-free or regular) to add complexity in flavor, chickpea flour is sturdy enough to do the heavy lifting in baking all by itself. Try a 1 to 1 swap for flour in blender muffins, pumpkin bread, or sunflower butter breakfast cookies.
Is chickpea flour good for cooking? ›
You can't substitute chickpea flour/gram like for like with wheat in recipes that rise but it works well in dense products - especially because it's a natural binder and thickener (good to know as an addition to pancakes, soups and stews).
Is chickpea flour good for diet? ›
Chickpea flour is full of nutrients. It contains fibre, iron, calcium, magnesium, etc., that aids in managing blood sugar levels, promotes heart and gut health, prevents neural tube defects, and helps in weight loss by providing a long-lasting feeling of fullness.
Is chickpea flour a good thickener? ›
Chickpea Flour as a Thickener
Made from ground dry chickpeas, this gluten-free flour is a great thickener. When sifted and whisked into hot soup or a sauce, it absorbs liquids without clumping and melts into the liquid completely without leaving a gritty texture behind.
