Gram flour facts for kids
 |
|
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 1,619 kJ (387 kcal) |
|
57 g
|
|
| Sugars | 10 g |
| Dietary fiber | 10 g |
|
6 g
|
|
|
Protein
|
22 g
|
| Vitamins | Quantity
%DV†
|
| Niacin (B3) |
6%
1 mg |
| Folate (B9) |
109%
437 μg |
| Minerals | Quantity
%DV†
|
| Calcium |
5%
45 mg |
| Iron |
31%
4 mg |
| Magnesium |
47%
166 mg |
| Phosphorus |
45%
318 mg |
| Potassium |
28%
846 mg |
| Selenium |
11%
8 μg |
| Sodium |
4%
64 mg |
| Zinc |
21%
2 mg |
| Other constituents | Quantity |
| Water | 10 g |
| †Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults. | |
Gram flour, also known as besan, is a special type of flour. It's made from grinding a kind of chickpea called Bengal gram. This flour is a very important ingredient in the food of the Indian subcontinent. You'll find it in Indian, Bangladeshi, Burmese, Nepali, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, and Caribbean dishes.
Contents
What's Inside Gram Flour?
Gram flour is full of good things for your body! It has a lot of carbohydrates, which give you energy. It also has more fiber than many other flours, which helps your digestion. A great thing about gram flour is that it has no gluten. This makes it a good choice for people who can't eat gluten. It also has more protein than other flours, which helps build and repair your body.
Dishes Made with Gram Flour
Gram flour is used to make many different and tasty foods around the world.
Popular Dishes in South Asia and the Caribbean
In the Indian subcontinent and the Caribbean, gram flour is used in many popular dishes. Here are some of them:
- Many kinds of snacks
- Sev
- Bhajjis
- Bikaneri Bhujia
- Bonda
- Boondi
- Chakli
- Chila (also called Dhirda or besan dosa)
- Dhokla/Khaman
- Kadhi
- Zunka/Pithala/Pithla
- Laddu
- Soan papdi
- Mysore pak
- Pakoras
- Papadums
- Patra
- Pholourie
In Andhra Pradesh, a state in India, gram flour is used to make a curry called Senaga Pindi Kura. This dish is often eaten with Chapati or Puri for breakfast, especially in winter. Chila, which is a type of pancake made from gram flour batter, is a very popular street food in India.
Dishes in Southeast and East Asia
In Burmese food, gram flour is called pe hmont, meaning 'bean flour'. It's often added to Burmese salads to give them flavor. It's also the main ingredient for Burmese tofu. Sometimes, roasted gram flour is used to make noodle soups thicker, like mohinga and ohn no khao swè.
Gram flour is also used in a Chinese dish from Yunnan called jidou liangfen. This dish is similar to Burmese tofu salad.
Dishes in Southern Europe
Along the coast of the Ligurian Sea in Europe, flour from chickpeas (a type of chickpea related to Bengal gram) is used to make a thin, baked pancake. This popular street food is called farinata in Italian cuisine. In the city of Genoa, it's known as fainâ. In French cuisine, it's called socca or cade.
Gram flour is also used to make panelle, which are fritters from Sicilian cuisine. In Spanish cuisine, it's an ingredient for tortillitas de camarones.
In Cyprus and Greece, gram flour is used to decorate a special food called Koliva. This food is blessed and eaten during Orthodox Memorial services. In the food of Antakya in Turkey, gram flour is used when making hummus.
Dishes in North Africa
In Algeria and eastern Morocco, people make a dish called karan using gram flour and eggs. It's baked in the oven. A similar famous dish in Algeria is called Garantita or Karantita. Its name comes from the Spanish word Calentica, which means "hot."
See also
In Spanish: Harina de garbanzo para niños
