- Submitted by Monika Garg on 10th Nov 2011
(Besan Chilla, Gram Flour Dosa, Gluten Free Chikpea Flour Pancakes, Veg. Omelette, Vegan Omelette)
Today it rained very hard here and I suddenly felt like making Besan Chillas (Gram Flour Pancakes). This used to almost a staple dish for rainy days when I was a kid. The basic chilla recipe is made with just spices. No onion or vegetables are added. My mother always balanced the taste of this pancake with the nutrition of vegetables. Many vegetables can be added to this preparation that add to color, taste besides nutrition of this dish. Today I have added cauliflower but you can add cabbage, tomato, carrot, spinach, methi, capsicum, zucchini, beans, mushrooms etc.
These chillas or cheelas can be made for breakfast, evening snack or dinner. It can also be packed for lunch box. The taste is somewhat similar to omelette and hence also known as vegan omelette. It can be used to make vegan bread omelette too. It is also gluten free it perfect for people with wheat allergy and egg allergy. Here's the basic recipe for the same :)
Recipe For Besan Chilla
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 min
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- Gram flour (Besan) - 1 cup (Fine powder is good)
- Sooji (Rawa) - 1 tbsp (optional)
- Cauliflower - 2 florets (Grated and dried off water)
- Onion - 1 medium size (finely chopped)
- Cooking Oil - as needed
- Salt - to taste
- 1 - 1.5 cups of water
Method
- Mix the flour / besan , cauliflower , onion in a bowl and add water just enough for all these contents to make batter that flows smoothly but slowly out of the spoon. Ensure that there are no uneven flour lumps in the barter. Add a spoon of sooji / rawa to the batter, this adds to the crispness of the chillas. Let the batter rest for 3-4 minutes before starting the cooking.
- Switch on the flame and pre-heat the griddle for about one minute. Coat the pan with cooking oil ( about 1 tsp for each chilla ) and maintain the heat on low to medium flame ( and ensure the oil coating doesn't steam off ).
- With the help of a katori / small bowl / scooped-ladle spread a fourth portion of this batter evenly on the heated pan . After cooking on one side, flip partway through to cook the other side. The chilla is to be considered cooked when both the sides turn to golden yellow and crisp.
- Carefully transfer the cooked chillas to a plate and serve hot.
Serving Besan Chilla
- Besan Chilla can be served as such for a light meal or snack with some tomato ketchup, mint chutney or tamarind chutney.
- The dish can be served with bread or buns to make it a whole-meal.
- In South India, smaller pancakes are made with lots of vegetables and served as a side dish for variety rice. It is also sometimes served as a meal with some coconut chutney.
Tips
- Use a non stick pan / griddle for cooking , but it is advisable to coat it with little oil as oil helps in making the chillas crisp .
- Green Chilies can be added to make the pancakes spicy.Other vegetables that can be added to make it nutritious.
- Sometimes I like to add 2 tbsp of oats flour to make it healthier.
More Besan Recipes