Chickpea flour or Besan, as we call it in India, is one of the most versatile ingredients that we can find in the kitchen. It is a very dominant ingredient in a lot of Indian cuisines like Gujarati and Sindhi. The best part about chickpea flour is that you can make both intricate and easy dishes with it. Chickpea Flour is also quite warm in tendency, which is why consuming it during winter can be extremely beneficial for health. Now that winter is around the corner, here are six easy recipes that you can make from chickpea flour at home.
Also Read: Is Besan The Ultimate Super flour?
1. Khandvi
Khandvi is a very famous Gujarati delicacy that is made from Besan as a primary ingredient. This recipe will just take an hour of your time and you will have to arrange for some basic ingredients. All you need to do is combine chickpea flour with some buttermilk with the help of a blender. Now add some turmeric powder and salt to it. Let the mixture cook on gas for some time. After you think it's properly cooked, make sure that you spread the mixture on a wide plate and let it rest there for some minutes. Make small rolls out of the mixture with the help of a knife. You can add stuffing of the choice inside the rolls.
2. Gatte ki Sabzi
Gatte ki sabzi is a very famous dish from Rajasthan. This is also a very simple Sabzi and doesn't require too many ingredients. It can be enjoyed with both Roti and rice. To make this sabzi you can knead a dough with the help of chickpea flour and water. Add some salt, chilli and jeera powder in the flour. Now make wide pipe-like structures out of this dough. Boil the pipe-like structures in water for some time until they get properly cooked. Cut them into small pieces and make a sabji with the help of vegetables, water and spices.
3. Kothimbir Vadi
Kothimbir means coriander in Marathi. Coriander is a dominant ingredient in this recipe. This is a very popular snack among the people of Maharashtra during tea time. These vadis have a lot of cashews, spices, herbs and chickpea flour. Kothimbir Vadi is a deep fried snack and very crispy on the outside. It takes only 15 to 20 minutes for you to prepare the dish and eat it. You can also pan-fry it if you do not want to deep-fry it.
Video Credits-Unsplash
4. Besan Mirchi
This recipe is made by using big green chillies that are covered in the batter of chickpea flour mixed with a lot of spices. These green chillies are deep-fried and very crispy on the outside. If you want, you can also fill green chillies with the stuffing of your choice. There are so many ways that you can eat these Mirchis. One of the most common ways is to eat it as a snack with tea. The other way is to eat it with roti. Try to find Mirchis that are not too spicy. Otherwise, it will be difficult for you to eat more than a couple of these.
5. Besan Ke Ladoo
This article would have been incomplete without the very famous Besan Ke Ladoo. This is one of the most popular Indian sweet dishes and most of us have tasted it at least once in our lives. Basin Ke Laddoo is a very quick recipe and is made with some simple ingredients. All you have to do is roast chickpea flour with a lot of ghee. Now add cardamom powder, sugar and some dry fruits to the mixture. Let it cook for some time and add some more ghee until the mixture turns sticky. Now make small balls out of the mixture and let it cool for some time. Your Besan Ke Ladoo will be ready in no time.
Video Credits- HEBBARS Kitchen
6. Steamed Dhokla
This is yet another famous Gujarati recipe which is also very healthy. Unlike other recipes on the list, this is not fried. Steamed Dhokla is prepared by using buttermilk, besan, spices, and some sugar syrup. The Dhokla is prepared within half an hour of steaming. It is very spongy and airy in texture and is the perfect breakfast option. You can enjoy the Dhokla with some sweet Red Chutney or Mint Chutney. If you think that the taste of dhokla by itself is too bland then you can fry it with some vegetables to make it more interesting.
Chickpea is a very interesting and versatile ingredient that can be used in many dishes. These are some of the top recipes made with the help of chickpea flour that you can make at home with some simple ingredients. All of these recipes will help in keeping you warm during the upcoming winters.