Westpoint Flour, Chickpea

Description You probably already love hummus, but—breaking news!—that's not the only thing the humble chickpea (garbanzo bean) can do. When ground into a flour, a whole new world of chickpea possibility opens up. It is more than just a flour. As a vegetable, chickpeas are nutritious. They have a high protein and fibre content and are known to help lower cholesterol. Chickpea flour is one of the most nutrient-packed gluten-free flours available. Half a cup of chickpea flour contains an impressive 11 grams of protein, 5 grams of fibre, and nutrients like folate, iron, magnesium, and zinc. One of the constant struggles of gluten-free baking is texture. Without gluten, things don't bind together well and cause issues with the finally gluten-free product. Chickpea flour is a naturally dense flour, and because of that denseness, and its innate binding tendencies, it lends baked goods a sturdy yet tender texture when mixed with other gluten-free flours. We love to add it to our gluten-free flour blends! You can substitute chickpea flour at a 1:1 ratio for heavy flours like rye or buckwheat, for an extra hit of protein, for some subtle flavour, or to bind things together. Directions Socca is a traditional dish from Nice in France, and as with many traditional dishes, there are a dozen different ways you can make it. You will most often find socca cooked street-side on fiery grills, where the resulting flatbread is coarsely chopped and served in a cone with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Everyone has their own technique for cooking the chickpea batter, but the ingredients are almost always the same: chickpea flour, water, and olive oil. Here’s everything you need to know about making socca: - The basic batter is equal parts chickpea flour and water, with a few tablespoons of olive oil. - Let the batter rest for 30 minutes before cooking — this makes the interior creamy when cooked. - Preheat the oven to 450°F and then heat a cast iron pan under the broiler for 5 minutes before cooking. - Broil the socca for about 7 minutes. - Socca success will look like crispy edges with a slightly blistered surface; the interior will be moist and creamy. Uses - Substitute up to 25% chickpea flour in recipes for a nutritional boost, especially when baking with low protein gluten-free flours such as white rice flour or tapioca flour. When mixed with an equal proportion of water, it can be used as an egg replacer in vegan cooking. - Many popular Indian dishes are made with chickpea flour, such as mirchi bajji and mirapakaya bajji telugu. - The flour is also used as a batter to coat various vegetables and meats before frying, such as with panelle, a chickpea fritter from Sicily. - Whisk Chickpea Flour with salt, chili powder, and club soda for a tempura-like batter that fries up golden. Spice level is your call, but fried fish is mandatory. - Add to veggie burger mix to boost the protein and help the patties hold their shape. No one likes a veggie burger that disintegrates on contact. Keep it together. - Stir with your favorite nut milk and baking powder for savory crepes, socca, and pancakes, which will turn out something like a buckwheat or rye pancake, making you feel all healthy-ish when you're having pancakes for dinner. Storage