Origin and identity
Besan — chickpea flour and its extraordinary versatility
Besan (chickpea flour, gram flour) is made from ground chana dal (split Bengal gram) and is one of the most versatile flours in Indian cooking — used as a batter (pakora), a binding agent (kebabs, falafel), a thickener (kadhi), a flatbread flour (besan ki roti, missi roti), a sweet-making ingredient (besan laddu, Mysore pak, barfi), and a face pack in traditional beauty routines. No other Indian flour covers this range of applications. Understanding besan's unique properties — its behaviour in batters, its role in emulsification, and why its flavour changes dramatically when roasted — unlocks a significant portion of Indian cooking.
Cooking Science
Why does besan produce a crispier pakora than atta or maida?
Besan contains significantly more protein (22g/100g) than atta (12g) or maida (11g), and this protein is primarily legumin and vicilin — proteins that set firmly on contact with heat, producing a rigid, crispy shell rather than the chewy, flexible shell of gluten-based batters. Besan also contains less starch than wheat flour, and its starch gelatinises differently — producing a lighter, more porous structure when fried. The combination of high-setting legume proteins and lighter starch structure makes besan batters crisp up faster and stay crisper longer than wheat-based batters. This is why pakora coated in besan remains crispy as it cools while wheat-battered foods go soft.
Besan Applications — A Complete Guide
Why besan behaves differently in each application
- Pakora batter: besan + water + spices. The high-protein batter sets firm in hot oil, producing a crispy shell. Adding a pinch of baking soda lightens the batter. The ratio matters: thick batter produces heavy, doughy pakora; thin batter produces delicate, crispy results.
- Kadhi thickening: besan mixed with yogurt then cooked slowly. Besan's legumin proteins thicken the yogurt without curdling it (unlike adding yogurt directly to hot liquid). The besan-yogurt mixture must be cooked for at least 25–30 minutes to remove the raw besan flavour.
- Roasted besan (for sweets): raw besan has a slightly raw, slightly bitter flavour. Roasting in ghee for 10–15 minutes on medium heat produces Maillard compounds — a nutty, complex, caramel-like flavour that is the foundation of besan laddu and Mysore pak.
- Binding agent: besan mixed with a little water forms a sticky paste that binds vegetable and meat mixtures in kebabs and tikki preparations — the proteins set during cooking, holding the mixture together.
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Besan (Chickpea Flour) — Nutrition per 100g
Source: ICMR-NIN Nutritive Value of Indian Foods, 2017
| Nutrient | Besan | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 372 kcal | Higher than wheat flours due to fat content |
| Protein | 22.5 g | Nearly double atta (12.1g) — legume protein |
| Carbohydrates | 57.8 g | Lower than wheat flours |
| Dietary Fibre | 22.5 g | Very high — significantly more than atta or maida |
| Fat | 6.2 g | Higher fat from chickpea's natural fat content |
| Iron | 8.0 mg | Very high — much more than wheat flours |
| Calcium | 56 mg | Similar to atta |
| Folate | 387 mcg | Exceptionally high |
| Glycaemic Index | ~10 (very low) | One of the lowest GI flours available |
Besan is nutritionally exceptional — nearly double the protein of wheat flour, very high fibre, very high iron, very high folate, and an exceptionally low glycaemic index of approximately 10. These numbers reflect the nutritional profile of chana dal (from which besan is made). However, most besan applications involve deep frying (pakora) or large amounts of added fat (besan laddu in ghee) — the base flour is nutritious but the finished preparation must be evaluated as a whole.
Nutritional Context
Besan is very nutritious — but pakoras are not a health food
Besan itself has excellent nutrition — high protein, high fibre, very low GI. But pakoras are deep-fried in oil, and the cooking method adds significant fat regardless of the flour used. A pakora contains besan's nutritional benefits plus the fat absorbed during deep frying. The besan flour is not the issue in pakora nutrition — the frying oil is. Eating besan as kadhi or missi roti delivers its nutritional benefits without the frying fat addition.