Commonly known as ‘Kala chana’ (Hindi) in India, chickpeas are a part of the vegetarian diet in India. These are basically legumes belonging to the Fabaceae family. The plants are short in height and are mostly found in tropical and subtropical regions. The seeds are excellent sources of protein. There are generally two varieties of chickpeas, ‘desi’ and ‘kabuli’. The ‘desi’ variety comprises of darker smaller seeds having a rough outer covering whereas the ‘kabuli’ variety are comparatively larger light colored beans with a smoother coat.
Gram flour is flour made from chana dal, known as chickpeas. It is also known as chickpea flour, besan. Used in many countries. Gram flour contains a high proportion of carbohydrates but no gluten. Despite this in comparison to the other flours, it has a relatively high proportion of protein.