Chickpea flour is used widely in some parts of the world. I am doing this investigation how it compares to plain flour in terms of its characteristics and functional properties along with its effect on people’s health, community, and the environment. All of this information will help me decide which flour to use for the celebration event.
Plain flour is a multipurpose flour made from wheat. Its production starts by peeling off the husk and the bran and then crushing the grain (Grasso et al. 2017).
Plain flour, as it is commonly known, is procured from the endosperm of the wheat grain. Care needs to be taken to separate the bran from the endosperm and the germ, with the bran being in quite a fine state until it has been put through the sieve. Finally, flour will have to be bleached for the purpose of creating a texture which is not only smooth, ut which is beautifully white in colour, and which reflects the high-quality standards that have been followed for the plain flour production.
Chickpea flour is made from chickpeas and is naturally dense with a stickier texture than plain flour when added to liquids (Vinasco 2021).
The process of making chickpea flour is thorough - drying of the chickpeas first and then soaking them overnight at least for eight hours. The water needs to be drained from the chickpeas, the following day, and placed in a single layer, on a dehydrator tray. The temperature that needs to be maintained for the purpose of drying is 50°C. Care needs to be taken to ensure that the chickpeas are entirely dried, prior to being crushed, because if these are wet and mushy, they will not make good powder.
Plain flour is used to make bread, pizza, and cookies. It is also used to thicken the sauces and gravies. Plain flour is also used for baking biscuits and muffins (Samira, 2021).
Chickpea flour is used to thicken the sauces and curries as an easy gluten-free flour swap. It is used as a binding agent for fritters such as pakoras (Vnasco 2021) and veggie burgers. It is also used for making pancakes, breads and pizzas. It is used in sweet baked goods such as cookies. It is used either on its own or mixed with other flours in the recipe (Vnasco 2021).
The plain flour contains over 11% gluten protein. There are two proteins called glutenin and gliadin, in plain flour that combine to form gluten when water is added. These two proteins give bread dough its characteristic properties. Glutenin gives bread dough its elasticity – the ability to resist stretching. Gliadin gives bread dough its extensibility – the ability to be stretched without easily tearing.
It has hydration properties, water and oil absorption capacity, pasting quality, bulky density and it swells (Vinasco 2021). There is a natural process that is followed in kneading the bread dough, so that a firm gluten network is established, and which is there before the bread dough is cooked and after it is cooked. Bread dough demonstrates a viscoelastic behaviour, whereby the properties of an elastic solid and a viscous fluid, are combined together (Fabbri et al. 2016). There are certain essential ingredients that need to be used for bread dough to be successful. Yeast, flour and water need to be mixed together in order to create high-quality firm bread dough (Fabbri et al. 2016). Each of these ingredients has a crucial role to play in shaping the structure of the bread, and for the characteristic properties that are associated with it as well. For the gluten to be firmly formed, the flour needs to be properly hydrated. Too much hydration in making of bread dough can end up producing a structure of dough that is sticky and unstable. The proofing of the bread dough needs to be undertaken until the loaves of the bread double in volume and include lots of air pockets. Shaping and making the bread dough correctly helps to distribute food for yeast, leading to fermentation process (Grasso et al. 2019).
Chickpeas have a high protein content, making them an excellent meat alternative in vegetarian and vegan diets. Especially a soluble fibre known as raffinose, chickpeas are abundant in dietary fibre (Grasso et al. 2017).
The proteins in the chickpea flour depict some properties like solubility, water, and oil absorption foaming and gelling properties, and they are confirmed to be strongly dependent on protein profile like amino acid composition. This flour contains a lot of protein sources inordinate. The flour has between 20% to 25% content of protein. To further improve protein purity and yield, fat is removed during the production of the flour is also known to contain a lot of carbohydrate, minerals, and fats, which helps in recovery, and they are key quality attributes of chickpea ingredients. It provides high nutritional levels that need to be ended by human beings, and many types of research have proved that chickpea contains significant food nutrients like fibre, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins (Grasso et al. 2017).
Hypothesis
The dough made from chickpea flour, the flour should stretch and with the chickpea flour it will not be stretchy like the plain flour and it will also be sticky.
Ingredients
Using plain flour
60g plain flour
½ tsp salt
3 tsp unsalted butter
½ cup milk
1 tbsp oil
Using chickpea flour
60g chickpea flour
½ tsp salt
3 tsp unsalted butter
½ cup milk
1 tbsp oil
Feedback (Average of responses from four people that tasted the dough ate 1-5
Plain flour |
Appearance |
Taste |
Texture |
Size |
Tenderness |
4 |
4 |
5 |
3 |
4 |
Chickpea flour |
Appearance |
Taste |
Texture |
Size |
Texture |
1 |
1 |
11 |
1 |
1 |
By observing the dough, while adding water with the chickpea flour. The dough was getting sticky this was due to adding water at once rather than adding bit by bit. But with the Plain flour it was the opposite the flour was not too sticky; it was bot breaking off while in the pan.
The feedback given by the consumers also said that the chickpea flour was really dry tasted bad, they preferred the plain flour more. Because while making the plain flour one it was moist and it tasted better when put into the mouth, compared to the chickpea flour which was dry and dusty, and not desirable in terms of taste.
Chickpeas, which are abundant in vitamins, minerals, and fibre, have a variety of health benefits, including better digestion, weight control, and a decreased risk of illnesses. Chickpeas are abundant in dietary fibre. This is broken down by the beneficial bacteria in the gut so that the colon can slowly absorb it. More chickpeas in the diet may facilitate regular bowel movements. They also aid in lowering cholesterol (Grasso et al. 2017). The reason why chickpea flour is so healthy, is because it is low in terms of calories and carbs, yet it is rich in fibre and protein. The intake of chickpea flour keeps a person from putting on weight, yet it provides the necessary strength and vitality to the body and can keep energy levels high in those who engage in its consumption (Grasso et al. 2017). When discussing the possible impact that chickpea flour can have on the health of an individual, mention needs to be made of the fact, that, it has the potential to work as an antioxidant and can reduce much of the negative effects that are associated with the consumption of preserved foods. It is also ideal for all people because it is easy to digest and is lot likely to create complications from the point of view of health, even when consumed in excess (Grasso et al. 2017). The fact that chickpea flour has a limited content of calorie and carb makes it perfect for those who are looking to lose weight and who wish to do so by pursuing a healthy diet. The low calorie count in chickpea flour, allows people to lose a few extra pounds quiet easily and quickly when consuming foods that are made of chickpea flour, without compromising their overall health and wellbeing in the process of doing so, again, because of the high protein as well as fibre components of chickpea flour (Grasso et al. 2017).
By 2050, there will be a projected increase in global population of 9.7 billion people, necessitating a significant increase in wheat production, to meet the demand for staple meals including bread, pasta, cereal, savoury snacks, and a wide range of other foods. Australia, one of the world's top producers of wheat, will have to contend with several obstacles in order to keep exporting wheat to the rest of the globe. The nation's largest wheat producer in Western Australia is having production-related problems. It is anticipated that the yield of wheat will decline by 10%. The main cause of this is that new weather patterns brought on by climate change are causing air temperatures in the region to rise above the maximum temperature at which wheat can be grown, which is 23°C. The health benefits of plain flour are not as profound as the health benefits that are connected, with chickpea flour. What must be pointed out in this respect is that plain flour has a high concentration of calorie and protein, and it enables people to put on weight easily. As a result, it can play a role in aggravating health conditions such as obesity and heart disease, high cholesterol and other issues that are likely to arise when an individual puts on too much weight (Grasso et al. 2017). Plain flour does not have a high level of nutrients either, and which is why there is no advantage that can be availed when consuming the same, except for the fact that it is easy to procure, and it is known to taste good as well. It is important therefore to substitute plain flour with chickpea flour, as the latter causes weight loss because of its low-calorie content, while being protein and fibre rich, at the same time (Fabbri et al. 2016).
In Australia, bread production employs 10,030 people and 837 businesses are associated with bread making. Its market size is $ 3 billion (IBISWorld - Industry Market Research, Reports, and Statistics, 2020). These statistics reinforce the importance of producing locally rather than importing from overseas. Additionally, with a 2.2 billion increase in population over the next 30 years, there will be a huge increase in jobs related to wheat production (IBISWorld - Industry Market Research, Reports, and Statistics, 2020).
Chickpea flour is also grown in Australia providing jobs to Australians. It is produced in southern parts of Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia which is good news for the people in these states because they have jobs and get fresh flour. Australia exports 80 percent of the chickpeas produced and exports to more than 40 countries. Demand for chickpeas, used for making flour as well as on its own, supports employment (Grasso et al. 2017).
The production of wheat, from which plain flour is made, generates carbon dioxide which when released into the atmosphere, pollutes it (Engsner, 2020). Since the power grid in Australia is based on coal, the use of electricity generates a lot of carbon footprint as well and the water footprint is also quite high and. The use of flour for the preparation of food products is therefore not environmentally friendly here in Australia. Hence, plain flour production is not that good for the environment, and Engsner (2020) suggests increasing the use of chickpea flour for the making of bread dough. The CO2 emissions that are associated with the production of plain flour makes it undesirable for use in developed nations like Australia where a concern for the environment is prevalent, because of the country’s vulnerability to global warming and where a concerted effort is being made by the government to reduce air and all other forms of pollution by a considerable degree (Shoemaker 2019). The increased production and use of chickpea flour is desirable because the environmental impact connected to the same is quite less, and it will not aggravate environmental conditions that are otherwise quite adverse in Australia on account of the power grid in the country being based on coal. The production of plain flour is something that needs to be avoided, because of the negative effect it can have not simply on the health of the people but the natural environment (Vinasco 2021). The imbalance that is already created in the environmental setup of the country because of the fact that the water and the carbon footprint is high here, is something that can be largely offset by engaging in chickpea flour production, which is desired to ensure better health for the people of the country and which does not emit CO2 at the time of being produced to the extent that plain flour production is known to cause (Shoemaker 2019).
To conclude, this is a study which has shown that, the making of Flatbread dough with the help of chickpea flour, rather than plain flour, is a far better idea, not simply because of the ease associated with the preparation of the former, and the fact that the chickpea flour allows for the bread dough to be properly shaped, but also because the use of plain flour can be quite harmful for the environment. Plain flour generates carbon footprint and is not desirable, therefore. Chickpea flour has a role to play in the creation of a beautifully formed bread dough, does not have to be hydrated too much and its impact in terms of carbon footprint is far less than that of plain flour. Chickpea flour is also a product which is widely grown in different parts of Australia and to procure the same can prove to be quite an easy affair, as well.
Engsner, J., 2020. Optimizing the preparation of cooked chickpea - Epsilon Archive for Student Projects. [online] Stud.epsilon.slu.se. Available at: <https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/15378/> [Accessed 30 Apr 2022].
Fabbri, A.D.T., Schacht, R and Crosby, G.A. 2016. Evaluation of resistant starch content of cooked black beans, pinto beans, and chickpeashttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.nfs.2016.02.002
Grasso N, Lynch, and N, Arendt EK and O'Mahony J. A. 2017. Chickpea protein ingredients: Are view of composition, functionality, and application. Retrieved from https://ift.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1541-4337.12878.
Kutty, S. 2021 Pizza Paratha Recipe | How to make Pizza Paratha at Home. Retrieved from https://www.flavouroffood.com/pizza-paratha-recipe/.
Samira, A. 2021 How to make Chickpea flour. Retrieved from https://www.alphafoodie.com/how-to-make-chickpea-flour/.
Shoemaker, S. 2019 Benefits of chickpea flour (and how to make it) Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/chickpea-flour-benefits.
Vinasco, O. 2021. what are functional properties flour? Retrieved from https://everythingwhat.com/what-are-functional-properties-flour.Water absorption capacity.
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