Search articles from thousands of Examiners
Write for us
Los Angeles Food and Drink SF Healthy Food Examiner
SF Healthy Food Examiner

Garbanzo Bean Flour

October 19, 3:16 PMSF Healthy Food ExaminerEllen Roberts
Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe


Get alerts when there is a new article from the SF Healthy Food Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.
Email Address


  Include other special offers from Examiner.com
Terms of Use

Pakoras with cilantro chutney
Pakoras with cilantro chutney
Seasonal Pantry Blogspot

Garbanzo bean flour

Garbanzo bean flour (a.k.a. gram flour, chana flour, besan, chickpea, or cici flour) should be a pantry staple. Unlike other bean flours, garbanzo bean flour does not have to be combined with other flours (although you can do it if you wish). Garbanzo flour is high in protein and gives a slightly “beany” flavor to baked goods.

From What I'm eating now.  The most commonly-used gluten-free flours and starches (like rice flour and tapioca starch) offer little by way of protein or fiber. In fact, the starchy qualities of these flours–which tend to comprise most GF breads, pizza crusts and other commercially-prepared baked goods– help account for the fact that gluten-free baked goods often have up to twice the calories and up to 50% more carbohydrate compared to their conventional counterparts.

In contrast, bean flours offer a delicious and nutritious (gluten-free) alternative to these starchy staples, and are versatile enough to star as center-of-plate foods… or play a supporting role in a meal as bread’s gluten-free understudy. Take chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour for example: 1/4 cup contains 110 calories, 6g protein, 18g of carbohydrate (of which a hefty 5g is fiber) and an impressive 10% of the daily value for iron. Compare that to 1/4 cup of (whole) brown rice flour, which contains 140 calories, 3g of protein, 31g of carbohydrate (of which only 1g is fiber) and 4% of the daily value for iron.

Humble chickpea flour even edges out whole wheat flour in a nutritional tête à tête: it has 2g more protein and 1g more fiber in that same 110 calorie, 1/4 cup serving. Which makes it a lovely stand-in for plain wheat flour in recipes for breaded fish or chicken that call for a bit of a flour-and-egg dredging.

Chickpea flour even makes a great facial exfoiliante

Garbanzo bean flour for is used thickening sauces for making bechamel sauce (great results) and  for thickening soups as well (Harira being one example). and have used it to make  hummus.  Dry hummus mix sells for about five times the price of garbanzo bean flour.

Consumers who combine flours made from beans with grains, nuts or seeds are getting complimentary vegetable protein. (learn more about bean flour)
Complimentary Bean Flour Combinations

* Bean flour + wheat flour
* Bean flour + brown rice
* Bean flour + nuts
* Bean flour + seeds

Pakoras, Indian fritters and socca, a crepe from Nice are dishes made with chickpea flour. that have made it on the international scene.  This is a tasty and easy recipe for pizza.


 

 

 

 

Add a Comment

Name:


Comments:
characters left

NOTE: Do Not Alter These Fields:

Inside 'New Moon'
Get inside info on all things New Moon.
Robert Pattinson | Taylor Lautner

Recent Articles

Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Worrying about what you eat on Thanksgiving, a holiday celebrating abundance and the harvest, just creates anxiety. It really doesn't matter what …
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Finally government spending that makes sense, this government program cuts the fat by 50%. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) ARS is the …

Things to see and do

Self-Guided Audio Tours
24 Nov 2009 - 10 am
Walt Disney Concert Hall
More special event »
Urban Garden Tour
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Dino Lab
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Tips for Healthy Eating

Tools for Healthy Eating