10 Delicious and Healthy Besan Recipes

We don’t think there is any other ingredient as versatile as besan (Gram Flour). It is a common ingredient found in most Indian kitchens. Besan is a staple food made from wheat grains and the majority of Indian cuisines have at least one or the other recipe made of besan everyday. Be it a snack, breakfast recipe, dinner or a tea party, the versatility of besan has made it the most widely used flour across India.

Here are 10 delicious dishes prepared using Gram Flour. These are easy to make recipes and can be cooked with a little assistance in your own kitchen

1. Besan Chilla

Besan Chilla is a protein-packed recipe which you will surely enjoy as your morning breakfast. This savoury dish is easy to make and you could add a variety of vegetables to prepare a variation suitable for your taste. Just mix besan and readily available vegetables and spice powders, and you are ready to cook this light and nutritious snack. Once done, serve this dish with green chutney, pickle or tomato ketchup.

2. Zhunka Bhakri

Zhunka Bhakri is a traditional Maharashtrian snack that can spice up your day. It is typically made from gram flour paste and mixed with onions, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste, mustard and cumin seeds. Be it kids or adults we are damn sure that no one would be able to resist this dish. Enjoyed with Bhakri, it is an essential part of the diet in rural Maharashtra.

3. Besan Sheera

Besan sheera/halwa is not only a delicious recipe but also an effective remedy for cold and cough for kids. Besan sheera is very easy and quick to make. Gram flour is slowly roasted and then simmered with milk and peppercorns. You can prepare this recipe for functions, parties or on the arrival of a sudden guest. It is best served hot and should be enjoyed before bedtime.

4. Besan Dhokla

Dhokla is a soft, fluffy and tangy Gujarati dish. A thick besan batter and yogurt steamed in a microwave tastes delicious when tempered with mustard seeds and garnished with coriander leaves. By ignoring the time it takes for fermentation, dhokla is a quick recipe which makes a delicious snack enjoyed at any time of the day. It is nutritious and light on the stomach and is best served with green chutney, fried chillies and delicious papaya salad.

5. Gatte ki Sabzi

Gatte ki sabzi is a popular dish from Rajasthan cuisine. Gatte is basically gram flour dumpling which is added to curd based gravy. It is suitable for lunch and dinner and can be served even in family functions. There are many variations to make gatte ki sabzi. Some prefer a Punjabi version, where it is mixed with onion-tomato gravy instead of curd. Making gatte ki sabzi is easy and is best served with roti or steamed rice.

6. Ribbon Sev

Ribbon sev is one of those crispy savoury snacks made during festival seasons. The crunchiness of this delicious recipe is the result of perfect proportion of gram flour, rice flour and butter. This deep-fried snack is aptly flavoured with spices and asafoetida. One can enjoy eating ribbon sev with tea or mocktails. For the purpose of storing, allow ribbon sev to cool then break them into preferred size, and store them into an airtight container.

7. Besan Ladoo

Besan ladoos are sweet ball-shaped sweets from Indian cuisine. Besan is roasted with ghee until it imparts a dark golden colour. Then it is cooled down a bit, powdered sugar and nuts are added. The mixture is then rolled into tight round balls. If stored appropriately, you can relish this sweet snack for a long time.

8. Besan Khandvi

Besan Khandvi is a popular Gujarati snack. Gram flour flavoured with yogurt, green chilly paste is cooked as a lump free mixture on a greased surface. Preparing perfect khandvi takes a bit of practice, but you won’t complain as these tender rolls forms a fusion of both sweet and tangy taste. This perfect evening snack goes best with coriander chutney, coriander mint chutney or garlic chutney.

9. Besan Bread Toast

A quick and easy breakfast recipe is popular in many Indian homes. Bread coated with the batter of gram flour and vegetable forms a wonderful crispy snack. The bread inside gets a juicy taste when combined with besan and veggies. It is best served hot with a cup of coffee as they turn soggy after cooling down.

10. Besan Mirch

A lazy recipe for those who are too bored to cook but also want to taste a delicious snack. A Rajasthani recipe sauteed with spicy besan mixture and green chillies. When cooked this way, some qualities from chilly perfectly blend with gram flour mixture giving you a tangy and spicy flavour. Used as an appetizer, this recipe is easy to make and can be stored in a refrigerator for a week.

All the above-mentioned recipes prove the versatility of gram flour. These easy to make dishes are both tasty and nutritious. There are countless other recipes, which can be prepared using besan, you can even try inventing your own recipes and enjoy the healthy benefits of besan.