DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BESAN AND CHICKPEA FLOUR

Besan and Chickpea flour are Not the same. Besan or gram flour is a flour of chana
dal or split brown chickpeas. Chickpea flour or garbanzo flour is ground up white chickpeas. Similar flavors, but not the same flour. Read below for differences and where to use which flour.

Besan or gram flour is a flour of chana dal or split brown chickpeas. Chickpea flour or garbanzo flour is ground up white chickpeas. Both have similar flavor and behavior but enough difference that a substitution can sometimes mess up a recipe.

Pictured above, the top bowl has chickpea flour which is lighter, coarse and fluffy. Bottom bowl has Besan which is finer, smoother and hence more compact.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BESAN AND CHICKPEA FLOUR?

Besan and chickpea flour are not the same. Indian Besan, is the flour of brown chickpeas or chana dal (split brown chickpeas), or sometimes a mix of split chickpeas and split peas. It is a flour of a type chickpeas, so it can be labeled as chickpea flour.

Chickpea flour (in the US) is the flour of white chickpeas and is labelled as chickpea flour or garbanzo flour.

Besan is usually much finer ground and needs much less water than chickpea flour.

White Chickpea flour if a coarse flour usually will need more water to make same consistency batter. On usage it will also yield a dryer result.

They taste slightly different. Sometimes, you have to take these differences into account, when substituting one for the other in a recipe. In some recipes, subs work out just fine, while others need adjusting. They both taste a bit bitter when raw, so they are not a good candidate in raw flour recipes such as edible cookie dough.

As you can see from the pictures, Chana Dal is basically brown chickpeas that have been split and skin removed. This chana dal is made into a flour for besan. When the besan is of brown chickpeas with the skin, then that kala chana besan has a darker hue and earthier flavor. This besan is not used as commonly as regular chana dal besan.

https://www.veganricha.com/2019/08/difference-between-besan-and-chickpea-flour.html