From $3.95
Besan flour goes by many names depending on where in the world you encounter it: chickpea flour, gram flour, garbanzo flour, and in its roasted form, chana flour, but whatever it is called it is the same extraordinarily useful, naturally gluten free, high protein flour ground from dried chickpeas that has been a cornerstone of Indian, Pakistani, Middle Eastern, North African, Italian, and French cooking for millennia. It is the flour behind Indian pakoras and besan ladoo, French socca flatbread, Italian farinata, Burmese tofu, and the crispy batters of countless street food traditions across three continents, and it brings a nutritional profile, a flavour depth, and a functional versatility to gluten free cooking that most other alternative flours simply cannot match. Grandma always respected ingredients that had already proven themselves across centuries and cultures, and besan flour has done exactly that in more kitchens around the world than most of us will ever visit.
Flavour Profile: Besan flour has a distinctly earthy, nutty, and slightly bitter flavour in its raw form that transforms during cooking into something warmer, richer, and more deeply savoury, with a pleasant nuttiness and a robust, legume-forward character that gives everything it is used in a satisfying depth and substance. The aroma when raw is characteristic and recognisable, with a clean, slightly grassy earthiness that signals its chickpea origins clearly, and when toasted or cooked in oil it develops a beautifully complex, toasty warmth that pairs naturally with cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garlic. Its flavour is bold enough to be the star of a preparation and sufficiently versatile to work as a background note in a blended flour mix where its nutritional contribution is the primary goal.
How to Use It: Besan flour is one of the more technically interesting gluten free flours to work with because its behaviour changes significantly depending on how it is prepared, and understanding those differences unlocks its full potential in the kitchen. In batters for pakoras, fritters, and tempura-style coatings, it produces an exceptionally crispy, light, and flavourful result when mixed to a smooth batter with cold water, seasoned generously, and used immediately at frying temperature. For flatbreads and socca, mixing besan flour with water, olive oil, and salt and allowing the batter to rest for at least 30 minutes before cooking gives the flour time to fully hydrate and produces a more cohesive, less grainy result with a better texture and flavour. In Indian cooking, besan flour is often dry-roasted in a pan or in ghee before being incorporated into sweet preparations like besan ladoo and halwa, which removes the raw flour taste and develops a deep, nutty, caramelised flavour that is one of the most satisfying aromas in the entire Indian confectionery tradition. As a binding agent and egg substitute in vegan baking, a mixture of three tablespoons of besan flour with three tablespoons of water replaces one egg with reasonable reliability in savoury preparations. In blended gluten free flour mixes, use it at no more than 25 to 30 percent of the total flour weight as its strong flavour can dominate if used too generously alongside milder flours.
Recipes Where Besan Flour Shines: Indian pakoras made from a well-seasoned besan batter with sliced onion, potato, spinach, or cauliflower fried until deeply golden and crispy are one of the most satisfying and crowd-pleasing examples of what this flour does best, delivering a crunchy, flavourful coating with a characteristic lightness that wheat flour batters rarely achieve with the same elegance. French socca, the thin, crispy chickpea flatbread of Nice traditionally cooked in a wood-fired oven and served warm with black pepper and fresh herbs, is one of the simplest and most impressive naturally gluten free flatbreads available to a home cook and requires nothing more than besan flour, water, olive oil, and salt to produce a result that consistently surprises people with how good something so simple can taste. Burmese tofu, made by cooking a mixture of besan flour and water into a firm, sliceable, golden-coloured block that sets as it cools, is a naturally gluten free, soy-free alternative to conventional tofu that can be sliced, pan-fried, and used in salads and stir fries with genuinely impressive results. Besan ladoo, the beloved Indian sweet of dry-roasted chickpea flour cooked in ghee with sugar and cardamom and rolled into small, fragrant balls, is one of the most warmly nostalgic and deeply satisfying confections in the entire South Asian celebration food tradition. A gluten free savoury crepe or dosa-style pancake made from besan flour, water, turmeric, cumin, and a little chilli, cooked thin and crispy in a hot oiled pan and served with fresh chutney and yoghurt, is a quick, nutritious, and genuinely delicious weeknight meal that comes together in under 20 minutes from a well-stocked pantry.
Good to Know: Besan flour is naturally gluten free, dairy free, and vegan, making it suitable for coeliacs, those following a gluten free diet, and those following plant-based eating approaches. It is one of the more nutritionally impressive gluten free flours available, being significantly higher in protein and dietary fibre than most starch-based gluten free flours, with a good mineral profile including iron, magnesium, and folate that makes it a particularly valuable ingredient in a gluten free diet where varied, nutrient-dense whole food sources of protein and minerals require deliberate attention. Besan flour is derived from chickpeas, which are a legume, and those with a legume sensitivity or intolerance should be aware of this before use. It is not suitable for anyone with a chickpea allergy. While besan flour is naturally gluten free, those with coeliac disease should always verify that the specific product has been processed in a dedicated gluten free facility or tested to confirmed gluten free standards, as cross-contamination during processing is a genuine risk with some suppliers. As always, please check the specific product label for facility and cross-contamination information before purchase.
Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. Large amounts may need to be ordered in. Allow 14 business days for it to arrive at GPO.
