Unknown Facts About Besan Flour

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Besan Flour
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A hot cup of chai, steaming pakoras or aloo
bajjis, a cosy corner, watching the monsoon rains
drenching green grass and the smell of damp mud.
Heaven on earth, indeed! Popular Indian snacks
invariably mean something dipped in besan batter
and fried to perfection. Garbanzo bean flour,
gram flour, chickpea flour, Bengal gram flour are
just some of the names of that all pervasive
ingredient of Indian cooking BESAN. Besan is a
common and popular ingredient in not just Indian
cuisine but a staple in many Asian countries too.
In fact, besan could bind more than the potatoes
in aloo bondas it could be that binding factor
in Indias relations with her neighbours
Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. That is how
popular this flour is.
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The chameleon of the kitchen Besan can be used in
innumerable ways as a binder, thickener, in a
variety of snacks, sweets, to make papads. Only
human innovation or imagination can limit the use
of this versatile ingredient. The Burmese
actually make a kind of besan tofu which is
used in salads, deep fried or dried to make
crackers. In some regions of India, like Gujarat
and Rajasthan, the use of besan is extensive and
mind bogglingly varied because of the scarcity of
vegetables in these dry and arid regions. A
friend laughingly calls the cuisine here various
dishes of besan on besan. Besan makes a good
replacement for egg in vegan cooking when mixed
in equal parts with water.
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Skin deep beauty secret The traditional south
Indian head bath means a whole body massage
with a generous dose of oil followed by body
painting with a paste made from besan, turmeric
and water . After this paste has dried, it is
rubbed off- this absorbs the excess oil, works as
a massage and exfoliation to boot. A paste made
from 4 teaspoons of besan ,1 tsp of curd, 1tsp of
lemon juice and a pinch of turmeric is used to
remove tan.This makes a great hair pack
too. Your vegetarian bodybuilder Half a cup of
besan flour contains 10 grams of protein and
hardly 3 grams of fat most of which is the
healthy unsaturated type. Half a cup of besan
also contains as much as 5 grams of fibre.
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Gluten free for those sensitive souls Besan
flour does not contain gluten and makes a good
substitute for wheat flour in gluten free diets.
If you are not too happy with the bean taste, try
replacing a bit of the besan with rice
flour. Besan ka side effects Besans soluble
fibre content makes it a good agent for lowering
cholesterol and maintaining a low glycemic index
and controlling sugar cravings. The Indian gene
makes us susceptible to diabetes. Modern
lifestyles have increased the incidence of heart
disease. Make besan your double edged sword in
fighting these two diseases.
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Folate for Foetal health Half a cup of besan has
201 mg of folate which is indispensable to
protein production and in the formation of
genetic material. Pregnancy means quick growth
and development of the foetus. Using besan in the
diet during pregnancy is a good supplement of
folate and especially good for the development of
the spinal cord and the brain in the
baby. Vitamins are vital Thiamine in besan
helps to convert food to energy and is good for
fighting fatigue needed for that extra zip. The
vitamin B6 content of besan is necessary for the
synthesis of red blood cells and serotonin a
neurotransmitter which controls mood and
appetite.
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Its elementary, my dear A half cup of besan has
2 milligrams of iron, 76 milligrams of magnesium
and 146 milligrams of phosphorus. Besan also has
iron which is essential for fixing oxygen in
the blood to be transported to all parts of the
body. Iron is also needed for producing collagen
the scaffold on which the strength and
structure of the body rests. Phosphorous aids in
building bones it carries fats (lipids) through
the body and activates enzymes which are needed
for the proper functioning of all bodily
activities. Besan does not mean deep fried The
Gujarathi dhokla /Khaman is a great way to
go. Sindhi Kadi embraces the goodness of besan,
is loaded with vegetables and is an absolutely
yummy delight.
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Do not feel guilty when you pop that delicious
pakoda into your mouth the next time. Just be
aware of the greatness of this humble powder and
use it healthfully. To double the benefits of
this healthy ingredient, use it in its organic
form. Same taste, better health!

Thank You.