Friday, March 27, 2009
Foods / Retail WTF of the Week: Besan Flour
Posted by Nicki Wood on Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 10:46 AM
Another reason to like Publix: they carry besan flour.
If you don't know this product, probably that's because you're normal and eat carbs like a normal person.
If you aren't normal and don't eat carbs, besan is like your best food friend. It's flour of finely ground chick peas. It's the basis for foods that, when you don't eat carbs, strike you as faintly carb-y. Like socca, which you can eat as bread or use for pizza crust. Or farinata, another pancake/flatbread. Or panelle, as close to a French fry as a non-carb can get.
Yep, this little gem of exotica is about the last thing you'd expect to find at a supermarket in a WASP-y part of town. So either there are serious Indian food lovers shopping at Publix, or Publix really, really knows the anti-carb Belle Meade market. And they're committed: I counted six bags at least. Priced at $6.99, that's $3 more than it usually costs at Indian groceries. But those stores are all the way across town. And they don't have Publix mango pie.
Comments (17)
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Publix also has the cute little British food section, so maybe they're trying to tap a niche market for former colonials.
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Besan really does have "Lesley" written all over it. It's pure protein. Try making farinata first. It's a cross between cornbread and a crepe. Then slip a baked farinata onto a baking sheet and make a pizza on it. Good place to start.
Besan batter has a strong vegetal smell when you mix it with water. But that cooks out. It's also very bland, so anything you make with besan will need a lot of seasoning.
Click the links -- I linked each of the dish names to a recipe. Claudia had a great panelle recipe too.
There's a desserty/snacky thing made with besan. Called Besan Ladoo. I haven't made it -- you know I'm biased against Eastern sweets.
Report back if you try it.
ok lesley - i'll make it or you
you demanding wench
i made it for el zorro last year
super easy
but i let the garbanzo flour sit for awhile in the water before i cook it
You know, about 25 years ago, my mom told me that whining would never get me anything. She was clearly wrong.
Something about this post rang a bell in my brain while we were shopping at Whole Foods today. So I bought Quinoa. Oops. Apparently the ole memory isn't as sharp as it used to be.
Any advice on what to do with all this Quinoa? And I propose a Wood/Young Besan Bakeoff. With Lesley and me as judges. Carrington can come too, but she has to wear the Groucho glasses from Iron Fork.
Ceel, you are the funniest. Quinoa, Besan, whatevs. Quinoa -- good glycemic index and masses of protein. And when you smother it with chicken gravy, it tastes great. Use lots of garlic nad herbs and make pilaf from it. Little strong-tasting to cook on its own.
So what else do you guys do with quinoa?
And how about a farinata pizza party bakeoff? Or the great panelle fry-off?
Quinoa is awesome in chicken and rice soup--it adds a sweet, nutty flavor that's one more layer of comfort. Even Mrs. Pink, who is not the queen of quinoa, really liked it in the soup.
here's a good/easy quinoa recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Quinoa-and-Black-Beans/Detail.aspx
i picked up some almond meal @ trader joe's and didn't think about it 'til i started searching for recipes - it's used for no/lo carb diets too. but since staunchly opposed to artificial sweeteners and i still eat carbs, i made some jam thumbprint cookies. yum!
Nicki, you know I almost always take your food advice. But "garlic NAD herbs?" I knew that garlic had bulbs, but I never knew...
I'll assume it was a typo. Thanks for all the advice, folks. I'll report back our results.
On a semi-related note as we experiment with Lenten Pescatarianism, RUABelle made a kick-ass paella last night using jalapeno salmon sausage instead of chorizo and seitan instead of chicken. While Deb Paquette doesn't have anything to worry about, it was one of the best things to come out of our kitchen in a long time.
Funny, here is this week's NY Times Minimalist column:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/01/dining/01mini.html?_r=1&ref=dining
It's a seafood pancake made with chickpea flour. Sounds delish!
lee - i saw that. i love my bittman even if he freaked me out in THAT SERIES. and it is going to be made in my house. this week. for sure.
les - it was never on. ceelcee was just dreaming...
Perhaps checking a little online nutrition info -- or even the info on the bag -- before writing would be helpful.
Chickpeas are a legume. Legumes do have a significant protein component, but they are starchy and also have a significant carbohydrate component. They -- and besan -- are not "pure protein" nor are they merely "carb-y."
According to calorieking.com, 1 oz of chickpea flour has
Calories 110
Total Fat 1.9g
Total Carbs. 16.4g
Fiber 3.1g
Sugars 3.1g
Protein 6.4g
Besan IS gluten-free, but it is not carbohydrate-free.
