Gram Flour

[sammijoe]

I impulse bought a bag of it. What can I do with it? Aware I can look up recipes, just wondered what people who use it regularly recommend.

I make little pancakes with it, just mix with water and add spices - I like cumin and coriander and fry in a little oil. I like them with a chunky guacamole

I haven't actually used the bag I bought but I bought it to make gram bread flour ala Jamie Oliver - recipe easily available online.

Yes me too but with lots of veg, grated or finely chopped

Onion bhajis. Or any bhaji / pakora batter really.
Flat breads.

Onion bhajis
indin pancakes

Pakora/pancakes - finely sliced onion, salt, pepper, nigella seeds, chilli flakes or finely diced chilli, coriander leaf and water to make a sticky batter, then gently fried until the onion is soft.

Serve with grated cucumber stirred into yoghurt with salt and pepper (simplest raita) and maybe some more coriander.

It's spicy, light, refreshing and absolutely lovely.

https://simple-veganista.com/mini-chickpea-flour-frittatas/

I make something like the above in a big tin and cut into slices for bake sales (hits the savoury/vegan/gluten free buttons).
Can't find my usual recipe but it includes grated courgette and I usually add some onion and potato too.

Sounds delish.

What about sweet recipes?

I think gram flour is the same as besan/chickpea flour.

I use it for flatbreads, pancakes to stuff with savoury fillings, making pakoras or bhajis, falafel, as a binding agent in vegetable burgers or patties, thickening sauces or soups for gluten free friends.

It’s a very heavy flour so not much good for traditionally British sweet dishes like cakes and scones. Halva or dense bars are ok, but nothing that needs any lightness.

Spicy pancakes; Mix with rice flour and yoghurt and the usual spices. Fresh chillies too. Pour the batter into a flat pan/ frying pan. Flip and cook other side.

Spicy steamed lentil cake (dhokla). Lots recipes on line

Socca/farinata

simple-veganista.com/socca-farinata/

Haven't made anything sweet with it before but I wonder if you could do a sort of fudgey dense brownie type thing with it? I think you'd need a dark chocolate/cocoa in it to hide the taste which is naturally savoury (not very neutral) and it is a heavy flour.

I was curious about sweet recipes and found this

www.cakere.com/what-can-i-bake-with-gram-flour/

I use it every so often to make courgette and/or corn fritters. You can actually throw anything in, tuna, onions, peppers, peas, grated carrots etc but here are some recipes for inspiration. I generally make them on a weekend with a poached egg on top and freeze any leftover patties.

https://dishingupthedirt.com/browsing-filters/special-diet/gluten-free/2-ingredient-zucchini-chickpea-flour-fritters/

https://nadiashealthykitchen.com/vegan-chickpea-sweetcorn-fritters/

Edited as I'm not aware of any sweet recipes, but there must be some. Even if only using the gram flour half and half with wheat flour. 🤔

Indian sweets (mithai) are often made with gram flour. Look for recipes for besan ladoo, besan halwa, and besan barfi. Can be flavoured with cardamom or topped with chopped almonds.

Socca - a sort of flatbread
bhajis/ pakoras
pancakes

Farinata.

Add whatever veggies you like to it. Yum.

Farinata- Mediterranean pancakes.

Thank you - I can’t wait to make the pancakes.