What is Chickpea Flour?

In the United States, most people automatically think of wheat when a recipe calls for flour, but ground wheat is only one type of flour among dozens. Chickpea flour adds a nutty taste to baking, soups and sauces, and can substitute for wheat flour in most recipes. Both wheat-free and gluten-free, chickpea flour is also easier to digest than other wheat-flour substitutes, such as soy flour.

Identification

Chickpea flour is nothing more than dried chickpeas, ground to a flour-like consistency. Other names for chickpea flour include gram flour, cici flour and garbanzo bean flour. Besan is chickpea flour made with unroasted chickpeas. Chana is flour made from roasted chickpeas.

Nutritional Facts

One cup--92g--of chickpea flour provides 356 calories, including 52 calories from fat. A 1-cup serving of chickpea flour also contains 6g of total fat, 1g of saturated fat and no trans fat. With 53.2g of total carbohydrate, a cup of chickpea flour provides 18 percent of your recommended daily value--DV--of carbohydrate and 40 percent of the recommended DV of dietary fiber, as well as 41 percent of the recommended DV of protein. When you eat a 1-cup serving of chickpea flour, you'll also be getting vitamin A, vitamin K and several B-complex vitamins, including thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and a full day's supply of folate. Chickpea flour provides 25 percent of the DV for iron, 74 percent of the recommended DV for manganese, and various amounts of other trace elements and minerals, including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper and selenium.

Availability

If your grocery store has an extensive international foods section, you may find chickpea flour in the Indian foods section under the names gram flour, besan or chana flour. Most groceries that sell Indian foods and ingredients carry chickpea flour, since it's a main ingredient in many Indian foods. Health food stores also carry a variety of non-wheat and gluten-free flours, often including chickpea flour. If you can't find chickpea flour locally, look for it through a health food supplier or co-op online.

Using Chickpea Flour in Recipes

Substitute 7/8 cup of chickpea flour for 1 cup of wheat flour for most baked goods. For yeast-raised breads, use 1 part chickpea flour to 4 parts wheat or spelt flour, says Margaret Wittenberg in "Good Food: The Complete Guide to Eating Well." In recipes that use flour for thickening, substitute chickpea flour for wheat flour or cornstarch on a one-to-one ratio. Use toasted chickpea flour for baking, Wittenberg advises, and untoasted for soups, fritters and dips such as hummus.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/160151-chickpea-flour-facts/#ixzz2PzLrWY6O