Tip besan into a bowl and the first thing you notice is the dust and the faint, nutty smell. Add water and the second thing you notice is the lumps. Gram flour is the workhorse of the snack kitchen, which is also why it is easy to mishandle. A pakora batter has to cling. A dhokla batter has to be airy and pourable. A khandvi batter has to spread thin as paper and still set. A soggy fritter, a dense steamed cake and a sheet that will not roll can almost always be blamed on thickness or resting time chosen for the wrong dish. The flour itself rarely deserves the blame.
Avoiding lumps from the start
Besan balls up if it meets too much water too fast. The outer layer of each clump swells into a skin and traps dry powder in the middle. To prevent that, stir the spices and salt through the flour while it is still dry, then add water slowly, a few tablespoons at a time, whisking constantly. Sift the flour first when you can. That breaks up the small hard bits that form in a half-empty bag. If lumps still appear, push the batter through a sieve with the back of a spoon. Whisking harder usually just turns big lumps into smaller ones that refuse to dissolve.
Pakora batter: coating consistency
Fritters need a batter that clings: roughly the body of a hearty pancake mix. Test it by lifting the whisk. The batter should slide back into the bowl in a slow ribbon and not run off like water. Too runny, and the coat fries into a thin, glassy skin that never crisps. Too stiff, and the outside is slow to brown while the centre of the fritter stays doughy. Replace up to a fifth of the besan with rice flour or cornflour for a crisper finish, because those fry lighter and stay crunchy for longer as they cool. Let the bowl sit for 10 to 15 minutes before frying. The flour finishes soaking and the batter sticks better to damp vegetables.
Dhokla and khandvi batter: thinner and smoother
A dhokla batter is looser than a pakora batter, about as thick as a crepe mix that pours in a steady stream. It must spread out flat in the steaming tin, and it must rise, thanks either to a quick leavening shortcut with fruit salt and Eno or to a longer ferment. Khandvi batter is thinner again, nearly as pourable as milk, since the point is to pour a very thin film over a smooth surface and have it set into a bendy sheet as it cooks. To test it, cook a spoonful on a plate for about a minute and try to roll it. If it cracks, the batter has set too stiff. If it stays sticky and will not hold a curl, the batter needs more heat, or next time a touch more flour. A batter that is too thin cannot set firmly enough to lift off the plate in one piece.
Reading consistency by eye
Three pictures in your head cover nearly every besan dish. For ribbon consistency, picture batter folding off the spoon in a slow, wide band that lingers on the surface a moment before sinking. That suits thicker dhokla batters and some stuffed fritters. For coating consistency, picture a spoon dipped and lifted, wearing an even, opaque layer that does not slide off. Standard pakoras want this. For pouring consistency, picture a thin steady stream, almost unbroken, as you tilt the spoon. Khandvi and besan pancakes want this. Take a few seconds to match your batter to the right picture before you light the stove. It costs far less than rescuing a failed batch.
Fixing batter that's too thick or thin
Stiff batter is the easy case. Trickle in water a spoonful at a time and whisk between additions, since besan thickens in surprising ways and it is simple to overshoot. Runny batter calls for a detour. Dropping more dry flour straight in brings the lumps back. Instead, mix a small spoonful of besan with a splash of water in a cup until it forms a smooth paste, then whisk that into the main bowl. It blends in cleanly where dry flour would not. Be ready for batter to tighten up as it stands, because the flour keeps absorbing water. That is normal. Almost every batch wants a small splash of water just before use, even if it looked perfect when you mixed it.
Salt, acid and fermentation timing
When the batter gets its lift from fermentation or from a chemical leavener and not from steam, salt and acid change the timing. Early salt can slow a ferment, since it draws water out of the mix and tightens the flour's proteins, so many cooks keep it back until near cooking when a batter will sit for hours. Acid works the other way. A spoon of yogurt, or lemon juice in a fast dhokla batter, hastens the reaction with baking soda or fruit salt and gives you livelier bubbles. That helps when the clock is ticking and you still want a lighter crumb than an unleavened mix would give. A batter left to ferment on the counter should look slightly puffed with small bubbles on the surface within a few hours. If nothing has moved after hours in a warm kitchen, your leavener may be tired or the room too cool. Warm the bowl gently instead of waiting longer.
Resting and holding batter
Almost every besan batter improves with a short pause: around 10 minutes for plain pakora batter and 20 to 30 minutes for dhokla. During that time the flour hydrates and the final texture turns out smoother. After a long pause, especially in a warm room, give the batter a brisk whisk and a little extra water before using it. Leftover pakora batter will not last more than a few hours on the counter. Put it in the refrigerator if it must wait, then let it come back to room temperature and whisk again before you drop anything into the oil.
Flavouring the batter without spoiling the texture
Spices are easy to add, but they can disturb the texture if you are careless. Whole seeds such as ajwain or cumin go in dry with the flour and spread evenly. Chilli powder and turmeric should be stirred in the same way, so they do not float in streaks on a wet surface. Fresh additions such as chopped herbs or green chilli carry their own water, so add them at the end and whisk lightly, then check the thickness again, since they can loosen a batter that looked just right a moment before. Keep salt modest in a pakora batter, because the vegetables and any dipping chutney will bring salt of their own, and remember that besan sharpens in flavour as it fries.