Scroll to Recipes with Gram Flour / बेसन as ingredient

Gram flour also called Besan and is a flour widely used flour in Indian cuisine. However, many consider chickpea flour as besan as well but besan and chickpea flour are different. Besan is the flour of chana dal or split-brown-chickpeas whereas Chickpea flour is the flour of white chickpeas.


Besan can be made of raw or roast chickpeas. The roasted one has better flavors and taste. It’s widely used in many Indian dishes like son papdi, pakodas, laddu, Patra, kadhi, and a lot more.

Commonly Known As

Language Name Written As
Hindi Besan बेसन
Gujarati Besan બેસન
Marathi Harabharā pīṭha हरभरा पीठ
Malayalam grāṁ māv ഗ്രാം മാവ്
Tamil Kirām māvu கிராம் மாவு
Arabic Tahin ghram طحين غرام
Bengali Chōlā maẏadā ছোলা ময়দা
French Farine de gramme Farine de gramme

Nutritional Profile of Gram Flour

Nutritional profile per 100 gms

  • Calories: 387
  • Protein: 22g
  • Carbohydrate: 58g
  • Fat: 7g
  • Sodium: 64mg
  • Potassium: 846mg

Source: USDA & Google

Health Benefits

Rich in vitamins

Gram flour is full of minerals and vitamins. With 96 gm, it provides 101% of the RDI for folate. Moreover, it has magnesium, iron, potassium, and copper as well.

Source: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Fewer calories

Gram flour has 25% fewer calories compared to wheat flour, so it makes less energy-dense. You can eat the same size as the portion yet doesn’t count many calories on food. So, it helps you maintain your weight as well.

Source: fdc.nal.usda.gov

Fills your stomach more than wheat flour

Gram flour may decrease hunger by regulating the hunger hormone ghrelin. Still, more evidence is needed for research. Lower ghrelin levels promote the feeling of fullness.

Source: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Rich in fiber

Gram flour is rich in fiber. It helps lower the blood fat levels. Also, it contains resistant starch, that has various health benefits like good for the heart and helps prevent the cause of type 2 diabetes, and cancer-like diseases as well.

Source: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Contains high protein

Gram flour is full of protein compared to wheat flour. It helps decrease hunger and the number of calories you burn. Moreover, chickpeas are an ideal source of protein for vegetarians. Also, it provides amino acids.

Source: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Side effects

Gram flour does not cause any side effects if taken in proper quantity. Also, it works nicely as a face mask and causes no allergy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is gram flour and besan are same?

Yes, they both are one and the same. However, chickpea flour and besan are not the same. Besan is the flour of chana dal or split-brown-chickpeas whereas Chickpea flour is the flour of white chickpeas.

Can I use gram flour instead of all-purpose flour?

All-purpose flour is maida and gram flour is besan. So, in many recipes like cake, cupcakes, or for coating, one can use gram flour instead of all-purpose flour but either one of them is not a direct one on one substitute of the other in every recipe.

Does gram flour contain gluten?

Generally, the gram flour is completely gluten-free. However, the grinding process to make the flour may not be exclusively for one purpose. Other flours processed in the same grinder, can mean it may contain gluten. So best is to check the brand that offers completely gluten-free flour.

Is gram flour good for weight loss?

Yes, Gram flour is low on calories and so one can include in their diet plan for those who are looking to control weight gain.