Garbanzo Bean Flour

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.