Besan chilla recipe with step by step photos – besan cheela is a savory and tasty pancake made with gram flour (besan), spices and herbs. Grated veggies can also be added to make the chilla recipe more nutritious.
I make besan ka cheela often, but somehow never managed to add the recipe. Usually I make the recipe shared here, but at times I also add grated cabbage and carrot.
A basic cheela recipe would be with just the spices sans any onions or tomatoes. there are a number of variations that can be done to a basic chilla recipe. You can also have a look at this Tomato omelette recipe which is similar. Apart from veggies, you can even add greens like amaranth, fenugreek (methi) and spinach (palak).
Few more chilla recipes are:
- Oats chilla
- Rava chilla (made with sooji or cream of wheat)
- Moong dal cheela
We do prefer tomatoes in all our recipes and they taste too good in a cheela, so I add them. But skip if you do not like. If using tomatoes, do make sure you chop them finely. You can even grate the tomato and add.
Besan cheela is one of the quick breakfast or brunch or evening snack one can make. You just need to mix everything and prepare the cheela. these besan chilla also make for a healthy tiffin box snack.
Serve besan ka cheela plain or accompany with coriander chutney or sweet chutney or tomato ketchup.
How to make besan chilla
1. Take 1 cup besan in a mixing bowl.
2. Add ¼ cup finely chopped onion, ¼ cup finely chopped tomatoes, ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves, ½ tsp finely chopped ginger, ½ to ⅔ tsp finely chopped green chilies. Do chop all the above ingredients finely. If chopped even in slightly large pieces, it becomes difficult to spread the chilla in the pan.
3. Now add the following spices – 2 to 3 pinches of turmeric powder, ½ tsp carom seeds/ajwain and ¼ tsp red chili powder. Use cumin seeds if you do not have carom seeds. Also add salt as per taste.
4. Add ½ cup water first.
5. With a wired whisk begin to mix everything. If the batter looks thick, then add 1 to 3 tbsp more water. I overall added ⅔ cup water. Depending on the quality and texture of besan, addition of water will be more or less.
6. Mix to a smooth flowing consistency in the batter. Break lumps if any while mixing batter.
Cooking besan cheela
7. Heat a tawa or a flat pan on a low flame. You can use an iron tawa or a non stick pan. If using iron griddle or tawa, then spread a bit of oil on the tawa. let the pan become medium hot. Then take a ladle full of the batter and pour on the pan.
8. gently with the back of the ladle, begin to spread the batter.
9. Spread lightly and gently so that the cheela does not break.
10. On a low flame cook the cheela till the top begins to look cooked.
11. Then drizzle ½ to 1 tsp oil on the chilla at the edges and all around. Skip oil if you want to prepare oil free chilla.
12. Continue to cook till the base gets light golden.
13. Flip and now cook the other side of cheela.
14. Cook this side till you see golden spots on the besan cheela.
15. 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 casserole. They remain warm and can be served later.
16. Serve besan cheelas plain or with mint chutney or any chutney of your choice or with tomato sauce. For more besan recipes, you can check this Collection of 45 gram flour recipes.
More breakfast recipes
- Aloo paratha
- Rava dosa
- Pancake recipe
- Pesarattu dosa
- Adai dosa recipe (delicious protein rich pancake)
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Besan Chilla Recipe
By Dassana Amit
Ingredients
- 1 cup besan (gram flour)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped or ¼ cup finely chopped onion
- 1 small tomato finely chopped or ¼ cup finely chopped tomatoes
- ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves
- 1 small green chili. finely chopped or ½ to ⅔ teaspoon finely chopped green chilies
- ½ inch ginger finely chopped or ½ teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain) or cumin seeds
- 2 to 3 pinches of turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ to ⅔ cup water or add as required
- salt as per taste
- oil as required
Instructions
making besan chilla batter
- Take 1 cup besan in a mixing bowl.
- Add all the ingredients except water and oil.
- Now first add 1/2 cup water.
- With a wired whisk begin to mix everything. If the batter looks thick, then add 1 to 3 tbsp more water. I overall added 2/3 cup water. Depending on the quality and texture of besan, addition of water will be more or less.
- Mix to a smooth flowing consistency in the batter. Break lumps if any while mixing batter.
making besan chilla recipe
- Heat a tawa or a flat pan on a low flame. You can use an iron tawa or a non stick pan. If using iron griddle or tawa, then spread a bit of oil on the tawa.
- 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 cheela till the top begins to look cooked.
- Then drizzle 1/2 to 1 tsp oil on the cheela 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 till 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 casserole. They remain warm and can be served later.
- Serve besan chilla plain or with any chutney of your choice.
Video
Notes
- For small kids, skip the green chilies and red chili powder.
- Recipe can be doubled or tripled.
- Grated veggies can also be added.
- You can also add greens like amaranth, fenugreek leaves and spinach.
- Spices can be altered as per your taste.
Nutrition Info Approximate values
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This is a very simple as well as very tasty recipe 😋😋. Just like Saxena ji I like it.
This very helpful to me
Hi Dassana ji, big fan of you and your recipes. You are always my family’s first reference point as every recipe of yours is promising. Please continue to share and help us with your recipes. Big big big thank you.
Hi Himani, thank you so much for your sweet words. Feels good to read your feedback. Yes, I have many recipes waiting to be shared. Thanks again and most welcome.