Socca (Chickpea Flour Flatbread Recipe) - The Simple Veganista (2024)

FAQs

What effect does chickpea flour have on bread? ›

The results showed a valuable increment in bread protein and fiber content. The volume of the breads decreased as the level of chickpea flour (CF) increased due the dilution of gluten content in the blend and due to the interactions among fiber components, water and gluten.

Chickpea flour is known as garam flour or garbanzo bean flour and it is made by grinding dried chickpeas. A staple in Indian and Pakistani cuisine, chickpea flour is commonly found in Asian and Middle Eastern groceries, but you can also make it yourself at home with a spice grinder or coffee grinder.

Gram flour, also called besan, garbanzo flour, or chickpea flour, is made from ground chickpeas, which are naturally gluten-free. Chickpeas also have many names, including garbanzo beans, garbanzo, gram, Bengal gram, Egyptian pea, cici beans, chi chi beans and cece beans.

Cooking, soaking overnight in water, sprouting (germination), fermentation, and pickling can all break down phytic acid so that the phosphorus can be released and absorbed by the body. Some natural bacteria in the colon contain the enzyme phytase and can also help to break it down.

The addition of cellular chickpea flour, which causes a lower spike in blood sugar levels, could also contribute to a lower risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Chickpea flour is also a terrific anti-inflammatory food, as consuming beans has been shown to have anti-inflammatory abilities and protective benefits against cancer — in particular cancer within the digestive tract, including colon, stomach and kidney cancer.

You can usually substitute half the amount of plain flour in a recipe for chickpea flour. But, be warned, it can suck up a lot of moisture, so it may not be right for every recipe – especially if you're making a cake or bread.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the chickpea flour, baking powder, sugar until well combined, and no lumps show. Whisk in unsweetened almond milk until smooth. Note that chickpea flour makes lumps easily. To avoid that, whisk vigorously until no more is left.

Almond flour is one of the best replacements for chickpea flour. It is rich in protein and loaded with nutrients. Almond flour has a slightly nutty flavor and is used in making macarons. You can make almond flour at home by grinding almonds in a high-performance blender.

Chickpea flour, also known as gram, besan, or garbanzo bean flour, has been a staple in Indian cooking for centuries.

What do we say besan in English? ›

Meaning of besan in English

Chickpea flour, also known as gram flour or besan, is of great importance in Indian cuisine. Try besan flour (which is gluten-free) instead of wheat. Synonym. gram flour.

Though you can mix it with other flours (gluten-free or regular) to add complexity in flavor, chickpea flour is sturdy enough to do the heavy lifting in baking all by itself. Try a 1 to 1 swap for flour in blender muffins, pumpkin bread, or sunflower butter breakfast cookies.

Remember to toast the chickpea flour in a dry skillet or oven beforehand to eliminate any bitterness in the final dish.

Chickpeas are made up of oligosaccharides, sugars that are also found in other foods like rye, onions, and garlic. Since they are highly concentrated in chickpeas, a lot of it has to pass through our system, causing longer and more severe bouts of bloating or uneasiness.

Chickpea intolerance. Even if you don't suffer from chickpea allergy, you may experience symptoms because of chickpea intolerance. Chickpeas intolerance arises when we lack the enzyme required to digest it. This leads to fermentation in the large intestines and gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating and stomach ache.

But chickpea flour, Love explains, "is a naturally dense flour, and because of that denseness, and its innate binding tendencies, it lends baked goods a sturdy yet tender texture when mixed with other gluten-free flours. So, for quick breads, muffins, and cakes, it holds up extremely well."

You can usually substitute half the amount of plain flour in a recipe for chickpea flour. But, be warned, it can suck up a lot of moisture, so it may not be right for every recipe – especially if you're making a cake or bread.

The presence of chickpea flour in dough affected bread quality in terms of volume, internal structure and texture. The color of crust and crumb got progressively darker as the level of chickpea flour substitution increased.

Used in a recipe, chickpea flour requires more water to be able to bind the components together. The taste of chickpea flour is a little stronger than its gram flour counterpart and so takes longer to reduce the strong taste - some say it has a grass-like taste to it when raw - if you try it (I wouldn't recommend it!).