How To Make Your Own Chickpea Flour
Image by Wikimedia: AlexanderVanLoon
Ever run across a recipe that calls for chickpea flour? No? Well, I have. Indians, Turks, Italians, Spaniards the French—they all use it. But finding a store that stocks chickpea flour can be a pain. Here's how you can make your own in a snap.
Chickpea flour—also known as besan, gram flour, channa flour, harina de garbanzo—is a popular ingredient in many Old World cuisines. It is the used in the batter for Indian pakoras. The French of Provence make a popular bread called socca with it that they bake in wood-fired ovens. Persian Jews mix it with ground chicken to form gundi dumplings. Chickpea flour can also be a great substitute for wheat flour in many recipes and for thickening sauces. Good news for those who want to go gluten-free!
Here's how to make your own. It should yield around 1 1/2 cups.
Chickpea Flour Recipe
- 2 cups of dried chickpeas
- Add the chickpeas in small batches to a food processor, coffee grinder or blender and process until pulverized and smooth.
- Run through a sieve to remove any large particles. Use as directed in recipes.
- Roasted Chickpea Flour: Roast the chickpeas in a 400°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chickpeas start to give off a nutty aroma and are lightly browned. Cool and proceed with the recipe above.
