The CookingBites recipe challenge: flour

SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
Just 2 days ago I used chickpea flour (it's only besan flour when made with brown/black chickpeas (kala chana), not the normal paler chickpeas otherwise it's simply chickpea flour (chana or more commonly chana dal which are split & skinned pale chickpeas is chickpea flour), that's the difference between the two flours, chickpea and besan and why one needs more water than the other) to make a spice mix for the spicy aubergine rice i am currently eating for my evening meal.
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This is what I bought , sold as chickpea flour.

Russ

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rascal said:
This is what I bought , sold as chickpea flour.

Russ

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Besan is often called chickpea flour to clarify to westerners...

Basically this is the situation

Chana = chickpea
Kala = black
Dal = split & skinned

So besan is ground kala chana
Chickpea flour is ground chana dal.

So besan includes the skin and is the black chickpea. It has a nuttier taste (I prefer it) and includes the skin so requires more water than chickpea flour
 
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SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
Besan is often called chickpea flour to clarify to westerners...

Basically this is the situation

Chana = chickpea
Kala = black
Dal = split & skinned

So besan is ground kala chana
Chickpea flour is ground chana dal.

So besan includes the skin and is the black chickpea. It has a nuttier taste (I prefer it) and includes the skin so requires more water chickpea flour
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Makes great bhajees . Mine are dam good.

Russ
 
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I always buy besan flour from Indian groceries.
There is no such thing as a bhaji without besan flour!
Today I´m going to try and make some parsnip bhajis - there will definitely be some onion there, probably loads of coriander, and a whole bunch of chiles. Have to see what spices I´m going to add...
 
karadekoolaid said:
I always buy besan flour from Indian groceries.
There is no such thing as a bhaji without besan flour!
Today I´m going to try and make some parsnip bhajis - there will definitely be some onion there, probably loads of coriander, and a whole bunch of chiles. Have to see what spices I´m going to add...
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Have you now got access to a kitchen, karadekoolaid?

Bhajis are just brilliant and parsnip sounds very good indeed.
 
A friend brought me a 2 kg bag of chickpea flour from Bangkok some time ago but it's all gone now.

Since then if I wish to cook bhajis or pakoras I use plain flour with the usual added spices; ground cumin seeds, ground coriander seeds, rice flour, chilli powder and chopped chillis.

Chicken.

Chicken.


pakoras 3 s.jpg

pakoras 3 s.jpg

 
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So I´ve got a kitchen all to myself for a whole weekend. Thursday night was a lentil dhal with carrots, the bhatura above,
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and some parsnip & onion pakoras, to which I added chile pepper, ajwain seeds, cumin and a touch of garam masala. Last night we decided to go Mediterranean, so I made a Focaccia.
Love the stuff - really easy to make and very tasty. We served it with roasted peperonata, artichoke, sundried tomato, olive, garlic and caper salad, and a capressa.
The first picture is what I made last night, and I have to admit, it came out a little bit pale and a bit too thin (new kitchen, different oven, different baking pans). The second picture is one I made a while ago, just so you can see how I like to serve it.
 
I'm guessing that masa harina, rice flour, and cornmeal/cornflour qualify as well?
 
I want to make tarragon and thyme buns for sandwiches and I was wondering if anyone knows if fresh herbs will work (I have fresh tarragon and thyme) in bread dough or do I need to use dried?
 
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