Whether you are on gluten free diet or just attempting to add healthy nutrients in your diet, besan or bengal gram or garbanzo bean flour is a healthy alternative to some of the most common flours. Just adding a small amount of garbanzo flour or besan to wheat flour or any GF flour can improve the nutrition of cooked food. According to Gluten Free cooking school website, 1/4 cup of garbanzo bean flour gives 5 g of dietary fiber and 6 g of protein.
Sometimes there is confusion understanding the difference between chickpeas and flours made out of them.
Chickpeas are of two main kinds :
Beige and dark brown.
White Chickpea:
It is also known by the name garbanzo / cici bean/ kabuli chana. It is beige colored, larger seed with a smooth coat. Chickpea is a popular ingredient in Indian and Mediterranean diet for making curries, hummus, falafal, soups and salads. It is an excellent source of protein but also have a higher fat content.
Chickpea (garbanzo) flour is made from beige or white chickpeas and is popular in Italian cuisine for making pancakes. It is available in specialty stores and in Italian shops and goes by the name garbanzo bean flour or farina di ceci. Besan found in Indian stores is not made by this bean. You’ll read about it under Chana daal.
Recipes made from white Chickpea
Roasted acorn Squash with Chickpea Medley
Dark Brown or Indian Black Chickpea:
Indian Black chickpea is also called Bengal gram or Kala chana or Desi chickpea. It is small, from light to dark brown color with a rough coat. It is a powerhouse of nutrients, rich in protein, fiber, vitamins and has low glycemic index which makes it suitable for people with high blood sugar. Whole chana is great when used in a curry, sprouted for salads and roasted for snack.
Whole chana flour is made from this black chana and is different from besan. It is just like other whole grain flour that contain cereal germ, endosperm and bran. It can be used for making chapatti combined with other flours. It can not be substituted for whole wheat flour. Chapattis made with this flour looks dark brownish black but very tasty and nutritious.
Recipes made from this black chickpea and its flour
Missi Roti – herbed Indian flat bread made with a blend of whole chana and white chapati flour.
Kala chana Pulao with Candied carrot strips
Chana daal (lentil):
Chana daal or split bengal gram or yellow daal is made by peeling and splitting Bengal gram. Flour made from this daal has a pale yellow color, slightly strong taste to some but with a nutty flavor. It is popularly known by the name besan or gram flour. In Indian kitchen it is used as a binding agent for Koftas (vegetable balls), batter for fritters, savory snacks, vegetarian pancakes (Cheelas) and sweet dishes.
Check out these sweets made from besan/gram flour, which are very popular in North India and one of my favorites – Besan burfi, Besan ladoo.
Other recipes include – Punjabi Kadhi, Cabbage Kofta Curry, Boiled egg curry, Besan Ki sabzi, Mirchi Pakora, Chicken Kofta curry, Persian chickpea flour cookies, Pithaud with chaunke matar, Besan Dhokla.
Chana daal is often confused with TOOR (tuvar or arhar) daal and YELLOW SPLIT PEAS, but they are different lentils in appearance and taste.
Green Garbanzo Bean/ Hara Chana/Choliya:
Green Chana is the greener counterpart of Kala Chana (dark brown chickpea/ bengal gram) and is available only in season when fresh crops of chickpeas are harvested. In Canada frozen choliya is available in Indian stores, farmer’s market, specialty stores as well as some of the Canadian Super markets like Costco. The frozen bags of green garbanzo beans from the Costco are the best so far, just as tender and crisp as fresh beans. You don’t need to cook them much compared to the one that you find in Indian grocery stores. You also get dry green garbanzo bean in Indian stores, however fresh or frozen tastes the best. Green garbanzo beans are an excellent source of folic acid and a good source of iron and they boast sweeter flavor than traditional garbanzos with the same satisfying, nutty texture that makes them so versatile. Use them for curries, dips, smoothies, salads, stuffing and many more…
Recipes made from Green Garbanzo
Soft corn tacos with green garbanzo beans
Healthy green garbanzo bean ‘Chaat’
Flour made from garnbanzo beans and split bengal gram
It is hard to find the difference between beige chickpea / garbanzo bean flour and chana daal flour/ besan but they are not the same. I ground the chickpeas myself to check the difference and made parshad. Garbanzo flour halwa was slightly moist, less sticky as compared to besan halwa (made with same amount of ingredients). I am not sure if they can be swapped in all recipes but will cook some other dishes and update the post.
If you come across chana daal flour and chickpea flour on the same isle of the store, do not get confused. It is ground from bengal gram daal, and suppliers use different names to sell their products (this is what I was told when I asked a popular specialty store in Richmond/Vancouver). However, if you read garbanzo bean flour on the label, it is definitely made by grinding beige chickpeas/ garbanzo beans.
Photos updated on Feb. 7th, 2014
February 24th, 2014
Few days ago I tested boondi and cheela recipes with besan and garbanzo bean flour. To be honest, I could not tell any difference in cooking, appearance or taste, but my daughter who is my trusty taste tester and critic for all my creations, found besan to be too beany compared to garbanzo flour. So, if you have any issues with strong nutty taste of besan, you can easily replace garbanzo bean flour in any recipe (provided its finely ground like besan).
March 27, 2014
I made farinata (Socca), the Italian pancake ( sometimes called flatbread) with besan. It came out perfect. Usually it is prepared with farina di ceci /garbanzo bean flour. Check out the picture here and here (that’s how I ate). After working successfully with both these flours I think you can easily alternate them in any of the recipes.
If you have also experimented with these flours and want to share some tips or would like to add anything about chickpea flours, please leave a comment or send me an email. I would be more than happy to update my post.
Sowmya
Hi there,
I stumbled upon your website when researching about chickpea and besan. I’m of Indian descent and recently diagnosed with gluten intolerance as well and I was struck by everything you said– it was so much like me and what I’m dealing with in re-learning to bake again! It’s challenging and fun at the same time. I have a question for you though with your thorough explanation of besan and chickpea– I am curious if besan is sometimes milled from the whole chana and sold that way. In our local stores, some of them carry besan and say “split gram dal” and others just say besan or chickpea or chana flour. I’m researching this because my son can eat besan products sometimes and at other times he breaks out into awful hives around his face, lips and sometimes complains of throat hurting. He is 10 and this has been ongoing his whole life. My mom will give him some haldiram boodi and he will be fine but then next time he eats a sev, he will break out. It’s so confusing. Sometimes when I’ve made pakora or bujia, he is fine and sometimes he will break out. Same with eating at restaurants– same dish like pakora or his favorite chili bhajis, he will be fine sometimes and sometimes he will break out.
I’m wondering if it’s something in the skin when they process the whole chana. He can eat chole fine and same with steamed kala chana (like our south Indian sundal dishes) so I’m not sure if they process uncooked whole chana and he is super sensitive to the tannins in the skin or something like that. Anyway, just thought I’d ask and see if you know of the actual milling procedure in Indian mills regarding the different besan products?
thank you ,
Sowmya
Balvinder
Hi Sowyma,
Thank you so much for your question. Although I am not an expert in what you asked but I will try to help. Besan, as I remember from before was processed in small mill plants ( maybe it’s the same now) where they also process maize, pulses and other grains. When you and your son were diagnosed with gluten intolerance (or have celiac), doctor must have clearly instructed you to avoid all things that have gluten. And to be gluten free, you not only avoid foods that that contain gluten but also watch out for cross contamination. If the besan flour has come in contact with grains such as spelt, wheat or barley in milling or frying you could experience uncomfortable symptoms……..) I know it can be challenging to eat in a restaurant however you can always let the chef and waiters know that you and your son are allergic to gluten, before ordering the food. When I go to an Indian restaurant I certainly avoid pakoras unless they use fresh oil to fry) Before you come to any conclusion after your thorough research, I would suggest you go to a doctor and get checked out. He can do more tests to find out other possible allergies.
I hope that helps and thank you for visiting.
Ajitha
Thank you very much for pointing the difference. Today at the Indian store I got confused because I saw chickpeas flour and yellow split peas flour. I was not sure which to pick and totally confused. Now I realize everything is almost close and will taste close. 🙂 Thank you once again.
Angela Longo
I invented a way to make hummus using the besan flour and ate a bit today on seaweed and veggies… I burped more than usual but no pain.
Is the flour raw? Do I need to cook it in water and olive oil first? what is shortest length of time to cook…cause I live in Thailand Chiang Mai and couldn’t get beans to cook today.
Otherwise, I guess i can use the hummus as thickener for soup? Or let sit out overnight and bake like an italian flat bread…I am Italian.
Balvinder
Hi Angela,
That’s interesting to know that you made hummus using besan. Yes, besan is made from raw chana daal so you need to cook before consuming. I do sometimes use it for thickening gravies but not sure how it will taste in soups. If you try, do let me know. I have baked Italian flat bread (socca) using besan and the result is great. You can check the link in my post.
Many thanks for visiting!
Angela Longo
Can you post answer to my email in case I can’t find this again? Thanks
Balvinder
When you check the box for ‘notify me of follow up comments’, you immediately receive the reply in email.
Angela Longo
I’ll let you know what I do with it 😉 Thanks for your kind reply.
Dipali
Hi Balvinder,
It’s so nice and thoughtful of u to share the info on gluten free diet which u have gathered by researching and by experimenting . I’ve a toddler,3 yr old who recently diagnosed with the gluten intolerence. It’s so hard to finger out what food I can give him specially how to replace the wheat in Roti
Which is staple diet of most parts of India. I’ve been making dosa with quinoa,mix lentils,brown rice .
Aft reading ur blog I would love to try ur white roti flour but not sure abt soy flour(all the soy and corn r gmos in us) so what can I use to replace soy flour .
I would like to know ur process of finding out the gluten intolerence in ur case if it’s fine with u.Thanks a lot Balvinder for ur gf blog it’s very helpful to so many ppl .
Dipali
Balvinder
Hi Dipali,
Thanks I am so glad you made the effort to comment how you feel. This GM thing is a very debatable topic. I agree soy and corn are genetically modified crops but there are no valid scientific reasons to ban them from your pantry. But it’s healthy to limit your intake of products about which you are unsure. I eat more non-processed, fresh and certified organic foods and doesn’t care much about this GM thing. Do you know there are some vegetables and fruits that are also genetically modified such as zucchini, squash and papaya. If you are keen on reading this topic more, read this recent study http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonentine/2014/09/17/the-debate-about-gmo-safety-is-over-thanks-to-a-new-trillion-meal-study/
I have tried various flour mix for chapati but this one was the best -taste wise and also the appearance looks like a wheat chapati. You can easily use it in making parathas and poories. I would suggest bean flour to replace soy but you should experiment and see if your son likes it or not. Do keep in touch and let me know if you try anything. Have a good day!
Balvinder
Oh you also asked me how I found out I was gluten intolerant. Read http://www.simpleglutenfreekitchen.com/2011/07/gluten-intolerant.html
Dipali
Hi Balvindar,
Thanx a bunch for replying.I’ll definitely try white chapati flour recipe and let will let u know. How can I get access to all of ur recipes.
Dipali
Balvinder
My dear, this blog is for you and readers like you. I will be glad if any of my recipe makes your 3 year old smile. There are few things you can do to access my recipes, choose which ever suits you. You can browse my old recipes through select categories in the right column. You can follow my blog through email, just look in the right column where it says subscribe. You can see all my recipe pictures in magazine format on your mobile phone or Ipad by following my magazine, it’s free. It shows on the right bottom of my blog. When you click on a particular picture it will automatically take you to my blog post.And, whenever I post a new recipe I share it on Google+. You can follow me there.
If ever you have a question about any recipe ask me on that blog post. This can help other readers as well.
Dipali
Thanx Balvinder.
FRANCISCA
Hi, I’m from Spain, and I saw your intersting blog about gluten free cooking….
My question is : can I trust chana dal or garbanzo flour, normal packets which are sold in común shops( meaning not health food stores) as being gluten free? I´m trying to make gluten free bread with buckwheat flour and chana dal flour.
thank you very much in advance
Balvinder
Hi francisca
This is a great question and one that is so confusing to answer.
Many grains and lentils, are inherently gluten free. Though, It is possible that they can become contaminated during processing and therefore are no longer gluten free. Personally I don’t worry about it when I am buying whole foods (grains and lentils) rather than flours. Because I can see a stray wheat seed mixed in, and take it out , I have never found any yet. With flours though, it is impossible to see. So if you are a celiac or have an extreme gluten problem, then you have to buy products that are labeled gluten free from specialty food stores.
Check this link.
http://www.glutenfreedietitian.com/contamination-of-naturally-guten-free-grains/
I would also say , do what your deep intuition tells you.
Do you get gluten reactions?
Does it harm your body when you buy buckwheat or chickpea flour from a regular store?
Read food labels. Call the 1800 number on the back of packet, or check online if that product is safe for gluten intolerants.
There is a portable gluten testing kit available in the market and online for the detection of gluten. I haven’t tried it but you can.
https://www.ezgluten.com/
Hope this helps.
P.S.Send me the recipe and picture of buckwheat bread once you make it.
Abhijit
Hii myself Abhijit I have one quation besan is really made from only chana dal not any othar grains mixed ….I used homemade flour not a tasty..but hira besan fliur pakora very tasty …if any compostion of besan plz tell me..
Balvinder
Hi Abhijit,
Besan is only made from chana daal (bengal gram lentil).
amy
i made chickpeas flour 🙁 instead of bengal gram flour due to confusion 🙁 …
Balvinder
It is still good. They are almost similar in taste.
A.S.Gill
Where can I can detailed nutrients in sand roasted kala channa, with and without its dark brown peal.
Balvinder
You can google it for nutrients calculating site.
Nicola Bond
Thanks this was really helpful! I’m writing up a blog post for Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes which I used chickpea flour in and was trying to work out if that was the same thing as besan!
Balvinder
Although they are not same but can be used interchangeably.Some people taste a very slight difference, but most people can’t even tell them apart. I made Persian cookies with besan which are typically made with chickpea flour. The only difference I found was in color. Besan is more yellow.
Diana
Hello, thank you for the helpful information. I’m not gluten intolerant, but wanted to use less wheat so i started cooking with garbanzo bean flour (pancakes, cookies, etc). I like the taste and nutrition. Since i’m using it a lot, i decided to buy it not from expensive health food stores, but from an asian grocery store in my neighborhood. They had 3 brand of besan (gram) flour. I got one and it was very bitter to my taste. I didn’t even tried to use it, was afraid that will throw away the cookies, so why bother… Apparently, it said chana dal, and after a lot of “googling” i realized that even though it’s all from the same group, but it is not the same. Now, i even more confused))), so which one i should buy to make mostly sweets (cookies, brownies, pancakes) from that asian grocery, because it is much cheaper than “garbanzo bean flour” Bob’s Red Mill’s from health food chain? Or should i stick to it? the one i got is by Maya Overseas Foods Inc. and it says “superfine Gram flour 100% Besan made from Indian Chanadal. Thank you,
Balvinder
Hi Diana,
It appears you haven’t read my post. Even though the chickpea flour made from white chickpeas and besan from peeled and split bengal gram belong to the same group, they do have a slight difference in taste. The confusion is only because people in West call Besan as chickpea flour. Even the food bloggers complicate the matter more. Hence, I wrote this post and experimented the recipes with both flours. Recently, I made Persian cookies using both the flours. The one in this post are made from besan, they look more yellow and the one shown in this post are made from chickpea flour gotten from a health food store. Don’t worry too much about it all though, besan bought from an Indian store will just work fine in cookies, brownies, pancakes and Italian flatbread etc.
Go ahead, buy the “superfine Gram flour 100% Besan” from Maya Foods and enjoy!
Diana
Thank you for your response, I will keep trying))
Amy
Thank you for this post. I find it so confusing… I’m wondering if you can tell me if there is a difference between Peacock brand Ladu Besan flour and plain Besan flour-? The price is slightly less for the Ladu Besan flour and I am looking at it online, so I don’t know if one of the contains any additional ingredients other than chickpeas/garbanzo beans. Here is the Ladu Besan, only says “chickpeas” for ingredients– https://www.desiclik.com/peacock-ladu-besan-4-lb-pr-33229.html?t=1536793424
Balvinder
You are welcome, Amy! I am happy you found this post helpful.
Although, I have never used Peacocok brand Ladu Besan But I know that Ladu besan is slightly coarser than plain besan flour. It is used only for making Ladoos as here. It does not contain any additional ingredients.
Dee
Hi Balvinder, I buy besan and have trouble making Gujarati Dhokla, also in batata vada the paste does not stick to potato ball. I asked a friend and she says you have wrong kind of besan. Do you know which one should I buy? Do you your readers have better sucess with a perticular brand? Thanks
Balvinder
I am really surprised you are having problem with besan. The most common gram flour available in stores is fine grind and it works well for all sorts of recipes. Although, there is a type of besan available called “ladoo besan” however this is only for making ladoos and has a coarser texture. Can you email me the picture of besan you are using?
Carrie B Cadieux
Thank you for your informative website! I do not cook GF but am trying to make vegan omelettes and quiches using chickpea flour as an egg substitute. Chickpea flour is hard to find in groceries here in the midwest but we do have a large Indian population in my city and a specialty grocery where I found several varieties of flour. The one I have been using is BESAN (Gram Flour) and the recipe includes Kala Nimak for egg flavor. The texture and flavor of the recipes have not been 100% successful. Maybe I am using the wrong chickpea flour? Any insights you can provide?
Balvinder
Hello Carrie,
I am glad you stopped by my site and found it useful. I make cheela with besan all the time to which you are saying vegan omelette.I don’t use kala namak but you can add it. Follow the recipe exactly and you will get the same texture and flavor. Check the recipe here, try it, take a picture and then let me know how you like it.
Maple
Hi,
Thank you for the information. Very helpful!
I saw in Indian store Besan flour and Ladoo Besan flour. Can Ladoo Besan flour be also use when recipe called for Besan? Or does Ladoo Besan flour only to be used to make Ladoo?
Thank you,
Maple
Balvinder
My pleasure, Maple! Besan ladoo is only to be used in making ladoos.
Hari
Amazing and good !
thank you
Rajat Madhogariya
Hi Balvinder!
Interesting post and even more interesting comments. My family is involved in the Gram dal milling and flour industry for more than 3 decades now but we still lag in terms of standardization of the fineness of Besan as food preparations and preferences change as per different regions in India.
I am trying to understand the scope of improvement in the flour industry – it can be quality/packaging/the product contents (as many people are shifting to multigrain flours as well).
Can you share your views on this?
Would be great to hear from you!
Best regards,
Rajat
Balvinder
Hello Rajat,
That’s true people are including multigrain flour in their diets to get the optimal amount of nutrients and fiber. A little bit of gram flour in chapati, pizza or naan makes a lot of difference in taste as well. As per my knowledge fine flour like besan is used in almost all the recipes (except for ladoos).
Regarding improvement in the flour industry I don’t have much to say other than that food industries like yours should take care of the cleanliness and avoid cross contamination while milling and packaging. Pay more attention on labeling information. I don’t buy any flour that doesn’t have the certified gluten free label on it even if the grain is naturally gluten free.
Thanks for visiting!