Chick pea flour

[Quiver0f10]

Can I grind dry chick peas to make chick pea flour or would I need to cook them first?

[klmama]

The store-bought bean flours are just dried beans that have been ground. They are harder to digest, though, because of that. If you can handle store-bought bean flour, you could probably handle doing it yourself this way. However, if you could soak them first, like when planning to cook them, then dehydrate them again and then grind them, they would be easier to digest.

[nmoira]

You grind them dry. I don't know what kind of grinder you have, but not all are powerful enough to do chick peas. Nutrimills can grind chickpeas.

[Quiver0f10]

Thank you, both. I will have a nutrimill. I was looking at a recipe that called for chick pea flour and had no clue how to do it.

[kalanamak]

no luck, I can send you some.

 

Two recipes using this besan. The first from Madhur Jaffrey, the second from my ex-MIL

Vegetable Pakoras

 

1 1/2 C chickpea flour or besan (can get at Indian groc. or in bulk

sections of many of the larger grocery stores, or in co-ops)

3/4 teas salt

1/2 teas baking soda

1/4 teas (generous) of turmeric (this helps you decide when it's done)

1/2 teap ground cumin

1/2 teas ground coriander (for these two, I added a teas + of my garam

masala...which has a healthy bit of both of these as a base)

3/4 teas whole ajwain or cumin.

1/4 teas ground black pepper (we do this coarsely)

1/4 teas cayenne

She says sift, but we don't, just break up the clumps of besan and mix

well with a fork. It travels very well in this form, and water can be

added at the party.

Beat in 1 1/4 C water until you have a smooth, thin batter.

Heat oil (we use peanut and do it in a small flat bottomed Peking-style

wok, but a big wok or a kardhi or a cast iron skillet (deep) would do

fine) between 350F and 375F (We usually guess...should fry the stuff

without exploding when the food goes in)

Cut a potato into 1/8 inch rounds, an onion ditto,

1/2 a sweet potato ditto, trim 16 string beans (oh these are good), 16

cauliflower florets, and some New Mexican chilis, or hot Italian. We

also did zucchini strips, whole garlic cloves (peeled) and slices of

turnip.

Dip in batter and fry about 7 minutes until they get a dark golden.

Drain and eat. The little tiny blobs of batter that drip into the oil

can be drained and put into raita or into kardi (the chickpea 'soup').

 

Great with mint or tamarind chutney.

 

KARDHI

 

Ajmer's Kardhi

place in a fairly big pot, like you'd make soup in

3/4 teas black mustard seed (the deep brown ones)

1/2 teas whole fenugreek

2 T chopped garlic

one small onion chopped finely

1 Cup chickpea flour (besan, gram atta)

2 Cups plain non-gelatin youghurt

4 Cups of water.

Mix and heat over medium heat, stirring continuously after it gets hot

and thick enough to stick to the bottom. As it gets thick keep adding

water (about 6 cups all told), stirring, cooking until it changes in

taste and smell.

Taste it at the beginning....raw chickpea will be the overwhelming

taste. It will change to a slightly tangy but cooked flavour when done.

All the raw taste will be gone. It's hard to describe, but once you

taste the change you'll know what I mean.

Stir in enough turmeric to give it a yellow-custard color.

Add pakora (below) or put in bowls and place a few very browned thin

onion slices on the top (in their oil) or serve plain.

A good starter for people who are new to Indian food and might need a

'safe haven' to run to if the sabji is too 'hot'.

 

Ajmer's mini-pakoras

 

1 cup chopped onion

a minced serrano chili or less

1 C besan or chickpea flour

mix in around 1/2 cup water to make a med-thick paste.

Heat 1 1/2 inches of good frying oil and drop in a Tablespoon at a time.

Cook until medium brown. drain on towel, stir into kardi above. Can be

made ahead of time and FREEZES well.

 

There is a fable around this food...the new DIL decides to make this for

her new family and thinks a little is good, a lot will be a lot better,

but doesn't know if you double the starting ingredients you more than

double the time it takes to cook....and ends up with masses of it.

I heard the story, amid much giggling, because it's exactly what I did

the first time I made it.