Besan and Chickpea flour are Not the same. Besan or gram flour is a flour of chana dal or split brown chickpeas. Chickpea flour or garbanzo flour is ground up white chickpeas. Similar flavors, but not the same flour. Read below for differences and where to use which flour.
Besan or gram flour is a flour of chana dal or split brown chickpeas. Chickpea flour or garbanzo flour is ground up white chickpeas. Both have similar flavor and behavior but enough difference that a substitution can sometimes mess up a recipe.
Pictured above, the top bowl has chickpea flour which is lighter, coarse and fluffy. Bottom bowl has Besan which is finer, smoother and hence more compact.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BESAN AND CHICKPEA FLOUR?
Besan and chickpea flour are not the same. Indian Besan, is the flour of brown chickpeas or chana dal (split brown chickpeas), or sometimes a mix of split chickpeas and split peas. It is a flour of a type chickpeas, so it can be labeled as chickpea flour.
Chickpea flour is the flour of white chickpeas and is labelled as chickpea flour or garbanzo flour.
Besan is usually much finer ground and needs much less water than chickpea flour.
Chickpea flour if a coarse flour usually will need more water to make same consistency batter. On usage it will also yield a dryer result.
They taste slightly different. Sometimes, you have to take these differences into account, when substituting one for the other in a recipe. In some recipes, subs work out just fine, while others need adjusting. They both taste a bit bitter when raw, so they are not a good candidate in raw flour recipes such as edible cookie dough.
Recipes for Besan
Besan has a less bitter flavor profile than garbanzo flour. It works great in recipes where the flour might not always get fully cooked/roasted, or used for crispyness. For eg, crepes or thin pancakes like Chilla work best with besan. Steamed savory cakes (dhokla), fried fritters(bhajji/pakora), soups(kadhi).
For recipes like Burfi (chickpea flour and coconut fudge) or Flan, where the flour is used as a thickener or in smaller amounts, either flour will work.
Besan also works better in baking where it is used for flavor and not volume. like cookies. But there are exceptions!
I prefer besan in my Gluten-free Baked Lemon donuts and in my Gluten-free Cinnamon Bread! Although both of these recipes need volume flour which would mean you opt for chickpea flour, that is generally not a good option. Chickpea flour in leavened gluten-free baking tends to dry out a lot more and not have enough baking time to cook out the flavor. While besan will make a more moist and more pleasant tasting result!
More Besan Recipes
- Besan Halwa
- Besan Ladoo Balls
- Besan Burfi – Fudgy Bars with vegan condensed milk
- Burfi (chickpea flour and coconut fudge)
- Steamed savory cakes (dhokla)
- Kadhi: Yogurt and Besan Soup.
- Flan (Vegan Caramel custard)
- Gluten-free Baked Lemon donuts
- Gluten-free Cinnamon Bread!
Recipes for Chickpea flour/garbanzo flour
For pies or anywhere you want things to set more, or baking with thicker batter ie. it depends on volume, use chickpea flour. Eg Chickpea flour frittata, and baked fritters.
Chickpea flour has more hold and works well to use in volume bakes such as fritters. Chickpea flour tofu (Burmese Tofu)made with chickpea flour is firmer and more sturdy than the one made with besan, which will be soft and more gel-ly.
For omelets, it depends on what you prefer, thinner, moist result or fluffier. For fluffier thicker omelets use chickpea flour. although it dries more, so you would need moist stuffing and some dressing.
Chickpea flour has a stronger flavor and is a dryer flour. the flavor takes longer to cook out into a nutty pleasing state. So recipes where the flour gets variable cooking times are not great with chickpea flour. Raw Chickpea flour tastes very bitter and the flavor will show easily. Use it in pies, baked fritters where volume and the mixture setting tot more solid state is important. Besan will be more souffle like while chickpea flour will set.
More Chickpea Flour Recipes
- Socca is better with chickpea flour.
- My Gluten-free Naan is better with chickpea flour
- Chickpea flour tofu – firmer and sturdier with chickpea flour
- Chickpea flour omelet
- Chickpea flour frittata – no soy
- Chickpea flour Scramble
- Gluten-free flatbread
- Cheese slices! no nuts.
Can I make Chickpea flour at home?
Yes! If you have a high speed blender, blend dry chickpeas until preferred fine consistency.Blend chana dal to make besan. It might not be as fine as store bought.
Can I use chickpea flour as a substitute for wheat flour?
Nope. Direct substitution for with-gluten flour will rarely work
Can I use chickpea flour as a substitute for gluten-free flours in baking
It depends. For most baked recipes the flour will leave a raw bitter after taste. For some recipes, chickpea flour or besan can substitute a portion of the gluten-free flour blend. The recipe has to be adjusted and made especially for these flour for best results. The recipe will most likely have more flavor and sweetener and longer bake time to cook out the raw flavor from the flour.
The flavor is also a matter of getting used to. If you frequently try chickpea flour in various ways, you will most likely not find the flavor as bitter.
How to store chickpea flour or besan?
Like other types of flours, chickpea flour and besan should be stored in a sealed container to keep out moisture in a cool place. It stays fresh for upto 6 months, and longer if refrigerated.
What other questions do you have about these 2 flours! Leave me a comment below and I will try to add answers to the post.
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