Chickpeas

What is Chickpea Flour?

There are a few varieties of chickpea flour; the primary distinction is that they are made from two distinct kinds of chickpeas: desi chickpeas, which are smaller and have rougher hulls, and kabuli chickpeas, which are the common, tan-colored chickpeas you are probably most familiar with. Desi chickpeas vary in hue according on when the seedpods are collected, ranging from green to brown to almost black. The brown kind of desi chickpeas, commonly referred to as kala chana or Bengal chickpeas, is used to make the traditional type of chickpea flour, also known as gram flour or besan. After the dried chickpeas' brown hulls are removed, the inside seed is split to make flour. There may be some misunderstanding when the split chickpea that results is referred to as chana dal since the term dal is often used to refer to lentils. The split and hull Desi chickpeas do resemble yellow split peas or lentils. However, they are really chickpeas. Although they belong to the same botanical family—the Fabaceae—lentils, peas, and chickpeas are distinct species.

How to use Chickpea Flour? 

This flour, which is prepared from ground chickpeas, works well for making flatbreads or coating veggies for pakoras. It is powdered and light yellow in color, with an earthy flavor that goes well with savory foods. Gluten is absent from gram flour. Indian cooking makes extensive use of it.

Chickpea Flour benefits:

Surprisingly abundant in vitamins and minerals is chickpea flour. Half of the Daily Value (DV) for folate and 44% of the DV for copper may be found in one serving of half a cup of chickpea flour. It has at least 15% of the daily value (DV) of potassium, magnesium, thiamin, and vitamin B6.

◉ Improves Satiety: One excellent source of complex carbs is chickpeas. Complex carbs are a combination of sugar and dietary fiber among other types of carbohydrates. As a result, they metabolize more slowly than simple carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates prolong feelings of fullness by slowing the stomach's emptying.

◉ Supports Heart Health: Because chickpea flour has a high fiber content and lowers LDL-C, or bad cholesterol, it helps the body eliminate cholesterol, which in turn prevents plaque from accumulating in our arteries. A high-fiber diet was shown to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease-related death in one trial including individuals with Type 1 diabetes (Schoenaker et al. 2012).

◉ Removes Tan: Are you curious in using besan to remove tans? Now combine 1 teaspoon each of lemon juice, yogurt, and besan with 4 teaspoons. Mix with a little teaspoon of salt to create a smooth paste. After applying the mask to your whole face and neck, let it dry. Use cold water to rinse. This is a process you may perform every day before taking a bath.

◉ Lowers risk of Osteoporosis: The element magnesium, which is important for maintaining healthy bones, is abundant in chickpea flour. Calcium is released from our bones via parathyroid hormone, which is expressed more when there is a magnesium deficit (Castiglioni et al. 2013).

Where to buy Chickpea Flour? 

Buy Chickpeas from the health food store in the USA, Alive Herbals.

Chickpea Flour information (at a glance):