Chickpea flour
Also known as: Gram flour, Besan
Flour from dried chickpeas with no gluten and about 22 g of protein per 100 g, used for legume pasta.
Chickpea flour is flour milled from dried chickpeas (Cicer arietinum); in pasta it is one of the main raw materials of legume pasta, which contains no wheat. In India it is called besan, in Italy farina di ceci.
Chickpeas are pulses grown mainly in warm, dry regions; according to FAO, India is by far the largest producer. For flour the dried seeds are cleaned, often hulled and split, and then finely ground. The flour is pale yellow and tastes nutty and slightly beany.
Per 100 g, chickpea flour contains about 22 g of protein and about 10 g of fibre (USDA FoodData Central), roughly three times the protein of rice or maize flour. Pasta made from it is therefore richer in protein and fibre than ordinary gluten-free pasta.
Chickpea dough has no gluten, so pasta makers extrude and dry it carefully and sometimes add rice. Barilla Legumotti grains are made only from red lentil, chickpea and pea flours. Rummo Pasta di Legumi includes chickpea fusilli made with chickpeas from Tuscany and chickpea penne rigate, both combined with brown rice. Outside pasta, chickpea flour is used for Ligurian farinata, socca from Nice, Sicilian panelle and Indian pakoras.
Chickpeas are naturally gluten-free and are not among the 14 allergens that must be highlighted in the EU, although people allergic to other legumes may react to them. On a label, "gluten-free" means no more than 20 mg of gluten per kilogram (Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014), so people with coeliac disease should still check the pack.
Facts
| Raw material | Dried, usually hulled chickpeas (Cicer arietinum) |
|---|---|
| Country | India (largest producer); in pasta: Italy |
| Main use | Legume pasta, farinata, socca, panelle, pakoras |
How it connects to Pasta
Chickpea flour ← contains ← Pasta from other flours and gluten-free pasta → kind of → 🍝 Pasta
Links
- Where it is found
- Rummo Pasta di Legumi, Rummo Fusilli ai Ceci n.48, Rummo Penne Rigate ai Ceci n.66, Banza Chickpea Pasta, Banza Chickpea Spaghetti, Banza Chickpea Angel Hair, Banza Chickpea Linguine, Banza Chickpea Bucatini, Banza Chickpea Penne, Banza Chickpea Rotini
and 40 more
Banza Chickpea Elbows, Banza Chickpea Shells, Banza Chickpea Rigatoni, Banza Chickpea Cavatappi, Banza Chickpea Gemelli, Banza Chickpea Wheels, Banza Chickpea Cascatelli, Banza Chickpea Orzo, Banza Brown Rice Spaghetti, Banza Brown Rice Penne, Banza Brown Rice Rotini, Banza Brown Rice Elbows, Gallo Hélices 100% garbanzo, Gallo Fideo 100% garbanzos, Rustichella d'Abruzzo Fusilli di Ceci Senza Glutine Bio, Spinosi Strozzapreti Zero+ Ceci e Spirulina, Spinosi Spinosini Zero+ Ceci e Spirulina, Spinosi Strozzapreti Zero+ Ceci, Spinosi Fettuccine Zero+ Mix Legumi, Leonardo Carassai Fettuccine 100% Ceci Bianchi, ALB-GOLD Bio Kichererbsen Fusilli, Barilla Legumotti, Barilla Legumotti Lenticchie Rosse e Ceci, 🏭 Banza, Banza Mac and Cheese, Pasta from other flours and gluten-free pasta, Gallo 100% Legumbre, Barilla Legumotti Lenticchie Rosse, Ceci e Piselli, Banza Wheat Protein Rotini, Banza Wheat Protein Penne, Banza Wheat Protein Elbows, Bürger High Protein-Spätzle, Bürger Gefüllte Spinat-Gnocchi mit Süßkartoffel-Hummus, Banza Brown Rice Pasta, Banza Wheat Protein Pasta, Spinosi Zero+, Makarony Polskie Novelle, Leonardo Carassai Linea Vegan, Rustichella d'Abruzzo Senza Glutine Biologica, ALB-GOLD Bio Glutenfreie Pasta - Part of
- Pasta ingredients and composition
- Similar and different
- Pea flour, Fava bean flour
Frequently asked questions
Is chickpea flour gluten-free?
Yes, chickpeas contain no gluten. Because flour can be milled on lines that also process wheat, people with coeliac disease should choose packs labelled "gluten-free" (no more than 20 mg of gluten per kilogram in the EU).
How much protein is in chickpea flour?
About 22 g per 100 g, according to USDA FoodData Central, plus about 10 g of fibre. That is roughly three times the protein of rice or maize flour.
Is it true that chickpea pasta has almost no carbohydrates?
No. Chickpea flour still contains well over half its weight in carbohydrates; it simply has more protein and fibre than wheat or rice pasta.
What to read next
- Banza Chickpea Pasta — Banza's main range of gluten-free dry pasta made from chickpeas with pea starch, tapioca and xanthan gum, in shapes from spaghetti to cascatelli.
- Spinosi Fettuccine Zero+ Mix Legumi — Spinosi Fettuccine Zero+ Mix Legumi: dry egg pasta in ribbons rolled into nests by Spinosi (Spinosi Zero+ range); ingredients: chickpea flour 22.2%, lentil flour 22.2%, pea flour 22.2%, fresh whole eggs 33.4%.
- 🏭 Banza — US brand of pasta made from chickpeas, whose recipe was first developed in 2013 in Detroit; it also makes brown rice pasta, wheat protein pasta and mac and cheese.
- Pasta from other flours and gluten-free pasta — Wholegrain, spelt, buckwheat, legume, rice and corn pasta; in the EU "gluten-free" means no more than 20 mg of gluten per kilogram.
- Fava bean flour — Flour from dried fava (broad) beans (Vicia faba), rich in protein and naturally gluten-free; it and faba bean protein go into high-protein pasta.
Similar
Red lentil flour · Pea flour · Buckwheat flour · Rice flour · Fava bean flour · Barley flour
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central — Chickpea flour (besan)
- FAOSTAT — Crops and livestock products (chickpeas)
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014 on gluten-free claims (EUR-Lex)
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers, Annex II allergens (EUR-Lex)