Chickpea flour (besan is its second name) is a product obtained by grinding chickpea beans to the smallest state.
Compared to wheat flour, besan is lower in calories and does not contain gluten. Consequently, it can be used for food by those who like to exhaust themselves with diets, limiting themselves to the use of flour products, and people who often have allergic reactions.
In addition, due to the content of a large amount of calcium, protein and zinc, the introduction of chickpea flour into the diet greatly speeds up metabolism, which is also an important factor in the fight against excess weight. And the minerals and vitamins that are part of the chickpea have a beneficial effect on the entire body as a whole.
Chickpea flour is one of the key ingredients in many French, Indian and Italian dishes. It can be used for making pancakes and pancakes, muffins and pies, bread and tortillas, omelet and cheese, in many cases it can safely replace wheat and rye flour with it. This product is also widely used in cosmetology. Besan is very often used in the preparation of various masks.
To make chickpea flour at home, you do not need much time or much effort. Just the desire and availability of such auxiliary equipment as a sieve, blender and / or a coffee grinder. And be prepared to tinker a little, because due to the hardness of the beans, you won't be able to grind chickpeas into flour the first time.
Ingredients:
dry chickpea beans - about one and a half cups
Method for preparing chickpea flour
First of all, prepare the chickpea beans. Pour them into a dry skillet and over high heat with regular stirring, lightly heat for 2-3 minutes. You can also use the oven. To do this, cover the baking sheet with parchment, sprinkle the chickpeas on it in an even layer and keep in the oven at 170 ° C for a quarter of an hour. This pretreatment will give the chickpeas a light, nutty flavor.
Pour the calcined beans immediately onto a dry cloth or paper napkins and let them cool slightly. Then place in a blender bowl and chop as much as possible at the highest speed.
Use a sieve to separate the hard grains from the smallest particles.
Kill everything that remains in the sieve either in a blender or use a coffee grinder. Gram flour is ready.
For storage, pour it into a dry jar or container with a lid. And so that no lumps form in the flour from accidentally ingested moisture, throw 2-3 cubes of refined sugar into the container.
It is advisable to use such a product within two months. If you still have chickpea flour, place the jar with it in the refrigerator, but store it there for no more than six months.
