Besan Chilla or Besan Cheela is a delicious and healthy savory Indian pancake recipe made with nutty gram flour (besan), sweet onions, tangy tomatoes, fragrant spices and herbs. Fill the batter with your favorite grated vegetables to make your meal more nutritious, and serve as a quick breakfast, brunch, or even as a late-night snack.

top shot of cooked and folded besan chillas on red plate with fresh herbs garnished on top

More on Chilla

A Chilla is a crispy, soft pancake prepared with cereal or lentil flours, millet flours or cream of wheat. Chilla are a popular snack across the North Indian states.

There are some other variations of cheela that can also be made with ingredients like paneer (Indian cottage cheese) and even sweet ones made with whole wheat flour and jaggery or sugar.

Some of the other regional versions of a cheela include dishes named puda, pudla or poli. These are common in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

One of my personal favorites is this hearty Moong Dal Chilla which can be considered as a close relative of the Andhra special Pesarattu Dosa. The dosa is however more like a crepe in nature, but still made with a moong dal batter.

Besan Chilla is a savory version made with gram flour, which is simply ground black chickpeas without the husks or skins.

In Hindi, besan is gram flour and chilla is a pancake. So you see the word ‘besan chilla‘ exactly translates to gram flour pancake.

You can make Besan Chilla either crisp, thin, thick or soft. If you spread the batter thickly, you get a soft chilla. If you make a slightly thin batter and evenly spread it, you get crispy besan chilla. Adding more oil also helps in making the chilla crispy.

Besan Chilla can be on your breakfast or snack menu as a healthy protein-rich pancake for yourself and your family.

More on Besan Chilla

The besan chilla recipe is a breeze to make and comes together in 30 minutes right from the preparation to cooking the pancakes.

Because I actually make besan chilla, or besan ka cheela, often, I was surprised when I realized I never managed to add my recipe — so here is my go to traditional besan chilla recipe that I’ve been cooking for years!

I remember making besan cheela in my teenage years for myself and my sister as our evening snack. Both of us would relish it with some white bread and tomato ketchup. Those were the days!

A basic chilla recipe would include just the spices, no onions or tomatoes. There are a number of different variations that can be done to a basic chilla recipe because it really is a very adaptable and customizable dish.

I love to add both onions and tomatoes in my chilla recipe. Onions give a nice crunch and that light sweet taste, while tomatoes add so much of tang and some umami.

In fact if you like, you can increase the tomatoes in my recipe. I assure you the chilla will still taste fabulous.

Apart from veggies, you can add greens like amaranth, fenugreek (methi) and spinach (palak). I like to add grated cabbage and carrot myself.

Give these Chilla Variations a Try!

  1. Oats Chilla: Healthy fibre rich chilla made with oats, gram flour, herbs and spices.
  2. Rava Chilla: Super easy to make savory pancakes made with sooji (cream of wheat or semolina).
  3. Moong Dal Chilla: Another version of nutritious protein rich mung bean pancake made with husked and split moong lentils.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to Make Besan Chilla

Preparation for the Batter

1. First, measure 1 cup of gram flour (besan) and pour it into a mixing bowl. Replace gram flour with chickpea flour if you do not have it.

top shot of gram flour in mixing bowl

2. Next, add in your chopped veggies and herbs. It’s important to make sure all of these ingredients are FINELY chopped, otherwise, it becomes difficult to spread the chilla in the pan.

Here are the ingredients you should include in this step:

  • ¼ cup finely chopped onions
  • ¼ cup finely chopped tomatoes
  • ½ teaspoon finely chopped ginger
  • ¼ cup finely chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
  • ½ teaspoon finely chopped green chilies or serrano peppers

NOTE: If you’re cooking besan cheela for smaller children, I’d recommend leaving out the green chilies and red chilli powder altogether. On the other hand, if you prefer more heat, you can add up to ⅔ teaspoon of the finely chopped chilies.

top shot of finely chopped vegetables and herbs poured onto gram flour in mixing bowl

3. Then it is time to mix in the spices, including 2 to 3 pinches of turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain) and ¼ teaspoon red chili powder. Also add salt as per your liking at this step.

NOTE: If needed, you can substitute cumin seeds in this besan chilla recipe if you do not have carom seeds or omit them completely. Carom seeds help in digestion and also give a good flavor to the chilla.

carom seeds added to the bowl

4. Before you start to stir or combine your ingredients, first add half a cup of water to the besan cheela mixture.

water added in the bowl

Make Chilla Batter

5. Next use a wired whisk to combine all of the besan chilla ingredients. Then, add an additional 1 to 3 tablespoons of water, depending on the quality and texture of the besan.

TIP: Coarsely ground besan will need more water than finely ground besan.

top shot of besan chilla batter in mixing bowl with wire whisk

6. Continue whisking until the batter has a smooth, flowing consistency. There shouldn’t be any lumps, so make sure to break those up while mixing the batter.

ladle scooping besan chilla batter out of mixing bowl

Make Besan Chilla

7. Finally, you can begin cooking your besan chilla! I use a tawa (flat, round-shaped pan) to cook my besan cheela, but you can also use any well seasoned frying pan or a cast iron skillet or a non-stick pan.

Whichever type of pan you’re using, heat it on a low to medium-low heat and ladle batter onto the center, much like making pancakes.

If you’re using iron skillet or tawa or a steel frying pan, let the pan become medium-hot and spread a bit of oil on it before adding the batter. Take a ladle or ¼ to ⅓ of a measuring cup full of the batter and pour on the pan.

ladle pouring batter onto center of flat pan on stove

8. Next, gently use the back of the ladle or measuring cup (if you have used one) to spread the batter. Make sure you are spreading the batter gently so that the chilla does not break.

batter being spread neatly with the spoon on the skillet

9. Then continue to cook the chilla on a low to medium-low heat until the top begins to look cooked or you start seeing some air-pockets.

top shot of batter cooking on the skillet

10. Additionally, you can drizzle oil (about ½ to 1 teaspoon) on the chilla at the edges and all around while it is cooking to help it not stick to the pan.

In fact for a crispy chilla, you need to add more oil on the pan or skillet before pouring the batter.

oil being drizzled with a small steel spoon on the besan chilla

11. Next continue to cook until the base gets light golden.

top of the chilla cooked and opaque

12. Then it’s time to flip your besan cheela and cook the other side.

top shot of flipped side of besan chilla on skillet

13. Then continue cooking until you see golden spots on the besan chilla. Cook your besan chilla evenly and well. You can flip the chilla once or twice for even cooking.

cooked besan chilla lifted with a spatula

14. Finally, fold your besan chilla and serve them while they’re hot! Continue to make all chilla this way. If you make a larger batch, then cook chilla on two pans or skillets.

cooked and folded besan chilla being taken off of pan with spatula

Serving and Storing Suggestions

Besan Chilla are best served hot and crisp as soon as they are made. They taste good when they become warm too.

If I plan to serve them later in the day, I stack them in a steel box or a roti box which keeps them warm and moist.

Make these as needed. I do not suggest to make a large batch for storage. On refrigeration the chilla becomes dry and lightly dense.

Reheating them does not bring up the original flavors and they taste kind of dull.

What to eat with Besan Chilla?

Serve besan chilla as it is or with a side dip of coriander chutney or mint chutney or any chutney of your choice or with tomato ketchup. You can serve it with plain curd (yogurt) or raita.

We also like to have it with roti or bread. I sometimes make simple sandwiches stuffing the chilla between two bread slices spread with some coriander chutney and butter. Yum!

For more besan recipes, you can check this 50 Gram Flour Recipes.

Expert Tips

  • Not just for breakfast. In addition to being a great breakfast food, besan chilla is the perfect recipe for an impromptu brunch or even an late-night snack. Simply mix the ingredients, then cook in a pan for a delicious dish in less than 20 minutes.
  • I prefer tomatoes in all most (if not all) of my recipes because they just taste so good! If you’re less of a fan, you can skip the tomatoes and add in your own favorite ingredients, such as broccoli, carrots, bottle gourd, pumpkin or zucchini. Remember, though, if you’re using tomatoes or other veggies, it’s important to finely chop or even grate them.
  • Fresh besan. Make sure to use besan that is fresh and not rancid. If the flour looks like having clumps and has a bitter aroma or taste, the besan is not fresh.
  • Scaling. You can easily scale the chilla recipe and make a big batch.
  • Leavening ingredients. Generally, we do not add any leavening ingredients like baking soda or baking powder in besan chilla. But for a fluffy soft chilla like that of a vegan omelette, you can add a pinch of baking soda or ¼ teaspoon baking powder in the batter.
top shot of cooked and folded besan chillas on red plate with fresh herbs garnished on top

FAQs

Is this a kid-friendly recipe?

Kids love eating besan chilla, even with the veggies (sometimes). For small kids, I would recommend skipping the green chilies and red chili powder, just to ensure it’s not spicy.

What can you use instead of besan?

Besan, or gram flour, is definitely the best choice for this recipe (and has a great taste, too!), but if you are unable to find, then chickpea flour – which is ground white chickpea, is probably your best gram flour substitute.

Is besan chilla good for weight loss?

Unlike traditional pancakes, besan chilla is good for weight loss if you reduce the oil or make them without oil.

Is besan chilla healthy?

Yes of course. Besan chilla is a healthy as gram flour is rich in protein and other essential nutrients.

Please be sure to rate this recipe in the recipe card below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

top shot of cooked and folded besan chillas on red plate with fresh coriander leaves garnished on top.

Besan Chilla | Chilla Recipe (Gram Flour Pancakes)

Besan Chilla or besan cheela is a savory Indian pancake recipe made with gram flour (besan), onions, tomatoes, herbs and spices. You can add your favorite grated vegetables to make these more nutritious, and serve as a quick breakfast, brunch, or even as a late-night snack.

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Prevent your screen from going dark while making the recipe

Making chilla batter

  • Take the gram flour in a mixing bowl.

  • Add the onions, tomatoes, ginger, green chillies ground spices, carom seeds, coriander leaves and salt.

  • First add ½ cup water and with a wired whisk begin to mix.

  • If the batter looks thick, then add 1 to 3 tablespoons more water. Depending on the quality and texture of besan, you can add less or more water.

  • Mix to a smooth flowing consistency in the batter. Break lumps if any while mixing batter.

Cooking besan chilla

  • Heat a frying pan or a skillet on a low to medium-low heat. You can use an iron skillet or a non-stick pan. If using iron skillet or tawa, then spread a bit of oil on it.

  • Let the pan become medium hot. Then take a ladle full of the batter and pour on the pan

  • Gently with the back of the ladle, begin to spread the batter.

  • Spread lightly and gently so that the cheela does not break.

  • On a low flame cook the chilla till the top begins to look cooked.

  • Then drizzle ½ to 1 teaspoon oil on the chilla at the edges and all around.

  • Continue to cook till the base gets light golden.

  • Flip and now cook the other side.

  • Cook this side until you see golden spots on the besan chilla.

  • Fold and serve chilla hot or warm. Besan chilla are best had hot. But if you are not able to serve them hot, then place them in a roti basket or casserole. They remain warm and can be served later.

Serving suggestions

  • Enjoy besan chilla as it is or with a side dip of coriander chutney or mint chutney or any chutney of your choice or with tomato ketchup. You can serve it with plain curd (yogurt) or raita.

  • We also like to have it with roti or bread. I sometimes make simple sandwiches stuffing the chilla between two bread slices spread with some coriander chutney and butter. You can make the besan chilla sandwich with toasted bread if you like.

Storage

  • Besan Chilla are best served hot and crisp as soon as they are made. They taste good when they become warm too.

  • If I plan to serve them later in the day, I stack them in a steel box or a roti box which keeps them warm and moist.

  • Make these as needed. I do not suggest to make a large batch for storage. On refrigeration the chilla becomes dry and lightly dense. Reheating them does not bring up the original flavors and they taste kind of dull.

  • Veggies: I like to add tomatoes in my chilla recipe. If you are not a fan, you can skip the tomatoes and add your own favorite veggies, such as broccoli, carrots, bottle gourd, pumpkin or zucchini. Remember, though, if you’re using tomatoes or other veggies, it’s important to finely chop or even grate them. You can also add greens like amaranth, fenugreek leaves and spinach.
  • Fresh besan: Make sure to use besan that is fresh and not rancid. If the flour looks like having clumps and has a bitter aroma or taste, the besan is not fresh.
  • Scaling: You can easily scale the chilla recipe and make a big batch.
  • Spicing: For small kids, skip the green chilies and red chili powder. Spices can be altered as per your taste.
  • Leavening ingredients: Generally, we do not add any leavening ingredients like baking soda or baking powder to the besan chilla batter. But for a fluffy, soft chilla like that of a vegan omelette, you can add a pinch of baking soda or ¼ teaspoon baking powder to the batter.

Nutrition Facts

Besan Chilla | Chilla Recipe (Gram Flour Pancakes)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 108 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Fat 6g9%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 1mg0%

Sodium 210mg9%

Potassium 168mg5%

Carbohydrates 10g3%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 122IU2%

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%

Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg5%

Vitamin B6 1mg50%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Vitamin E 2mg13%

Vitamin K 3µg3%

Calcium 5mg1%

Vitamin B9 (Folate) 3µg1%

Iron 4mg22%

Magnesium 3mg1%

Phosphorus 5mg1%

Zinc 1mg7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This Besan Chilla recipe post from the archives first published in May 2016 has been republished and updated on November 2022.





Dassana Amit
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