Oats Chilla
Oats chilla recipe with step by step photos. This is a quick, easy and healthy chilla variant made with oats, gram flour, spices and herbs. Chilla is a savory pancake that is made with gram flour or different lentils.
Here is another tasty oats chilla recipe that takes less than 30 minutes to make. So quick and easy enough for morning breakfast. This cheela is soft and has the taste of oats in it, unlike the regular Besan chilla. They taste good. You can even pack these in the tiffin box.
I make this variation of cheela at times with oats flour. For the oats flour, just grind quick cooking oats or oatmeal in a mixer-grinder and rest of the recipe is the way I make besan chilla.
Few more Oats recipes already posted in the blog are Oats upma, Oats dosa, Oats idli and Oats uttapam recipe.
If you are making them for the small kids then I suggest to skip adding green chili and red chili powder. You can also make them as an after school snack or evening snack. They can also be packed in tiffin box with a side of whole wheat bread.
These oats chillas can be served plain or with a side of chutney. You can also have with green chutney or coconut chutney or mint chutney. Even sweet tamarind chutney or a tomato ketchup also goes very well.
This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.
How to make Oats Chilla
1. Take ½ cup quick cooking oats in a mixer or grinder or a coffee grinder or spice grinder.
2. Grind to a fine powder. A semi fine powder is also fine.
3. Take the ground oats flour in a mixing bowl.
4. Add ½ cup besan (gram flour).
5. Add ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds or carom seeds, ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder and ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder.
6. Next add ¼ cup finely chopped onion, ¼ cup finely chopped tomatoes, ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves, ½ teaspoon finely chopped ginger, ½ to ⅔ teaspoon finely chopped green chilies.
7. Season with salt as per taste.
8. Pour about ⅔ to ¾ cup water.
9. With a wired whisk begin to mix everything. If the batter looks thick, then add 1 to 3 tbsp more water. I overall added ¾ cup water. Depending on the quality and texture of besan and oats, addition of water will be more or less.
10. Whisk to a smooth flowing consistency in the batter without any lumps. Break lumps if any while mixing batter.
11. Batter consistency can be seen in the below pic. For rolled oats, grind in the same way. After making the batter, keep covered for 30 minutes.
12. Heat a tawa or a flat pan on a low heat. 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.
13. Gently with the back of the ladle, begin to spread the batter. Spread lightly and gently so that the cheela does not break.
14. On a low to medium heat cook the oats chilla till the top begins to look cooked.
15. Then drizzle ½ to 1 teaspoon oil on the oats chilla at the edges and all around. Skip oil if you want to prepare oil free chillas.
16. With a spoon spread the oil all over.
16. Continue to cook till the base gets light golden then flip using a spatula.
17. Now cook the other side.
18. Cook this side till you see golden spots on the besan oats cheela.
19. Fold and serve the oats chilla hot or warm. This way make all the chilla and regulate the heat as needed.
20. Serve oats cheela plain or with any chutney of your choice or with sweet tamarind chutney or coconut chutney or tomato sauce.
They can also be packed in a tiffin box with bread.
If you are looking for more Breakfast recipes then do check:
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
- ½ cup quick cooking oats or 70 grams quick cooking oats
- ½ cup besan (gram flour) or 50 grams besan
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion or 30 grams onions or 1 small onion
- ¼ cup finely chopped tomatoes or 50 grams tomatoes or 1 small tomato
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds or carom seeds (ajwain)
- ½ inch ginger – chopped
- 1 green chilli – chopped
- ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves)
- ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¾ cup water or add as required
- salt as required
- oil as required
Instructions
making oats chilla batter
- Take ½ cup quick cooking oats in a mixer or grinder and grind to a fine powder.
- Take the ground oats flour in a mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup besan.
- Now add everything except for oil and water.
- Pour about 2/3 to 3/4 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 3/4 cup water. Depending on the quality and texture of besan and oats, addition of water will be more or less.
- Whisk to a smooth flowing consistency in the batter without any lumps. Break lumps if any while mixing batter.
making oats chilla
- 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 to medium flame cook the oats cheela till the top begins to look cooked.
- Then drizzle ½ to 1 tsp oil on the chilla at the edges and all around. With a spoon spread the oil all over. Skip oil if you want to prepare oil free oats chillas.
- Continue to cook till the base gets light golden. Then flip.
- Now cook the other side of oats cheela.
- Cook this side till you see golden spots on the oats besan cheela.
- Fold and serve hot or warm. Can also be packed in tiffin box.
- Serve oats cheelas plain or with any chutney of your choice or with tomato sauce.
Notes
- For small kids, skip the green chilies and red chili powder.
- Recipe can be doubled or tripled.
- For rolled oats, grind in the same way. After making the batter, keep covered for 30 minutes.
Nutrition
This Oats Chilla post from the blog archives first published in June 2016 has been updated and republished on December 2022.
I like these oats recipes very much because these are gut friendly and at the same time very nutritional also.
Thank you. I’m really happy to know you’re enjoying the oats recipes. Yes, they’re light on the stomach and packed with nutrition. Glad they’re working well for you.
Very interesting recipes and explained very well with pictures. All the best.
Thank you so much for the lovely feedback and good wishes. I am glad you found the recipe helpful.
Your dishes are perfect. There are many which I have made from your recipes. They all were fantastic.
Thanks a lot.
Keep on providing more such recipes.
So glad to read your comment and the feedback on the recipes. Will add such more recipes. Thanks again.
Very easy and delicious ??
Thank you.
So tasty!! Thank you for such a yum recipe!
Welcome.
Lovely! I made these for lunch with a scrambled egg with onion, tomato, garam masala and pinch of chili. Lovely combination.
Unfortunately I had no coriander – I am sure that will make them even better next time I cook these. Because I will certainly make them often. (Have used besan and oats separately but never together – like it!!)
Thanks a lot for this feedback on the recipe. Yes, coriander does make oats chilla taste better. If possible, next time do add them. Thanks again.
Beautifully explained ?❤️
Thank you.
I could always rely upon you for the healthiest and scrumptious recepies. Thank you Didi ??
Thank you Shalini. Most welcome.
i tried it and it turned out to be yummiest…
Glad to know and thanks for the feedback and rating.
All recipes are very nice. Easy to cook and yummy… especially works for my daughter…. thanks and keep posting easy fast and yummy recipes.
thank you chetna.
The first time I tried this I did not get it right.The batter was sticky and the chillas fell apart.I think the batter consistency was not right.Since then I have made it a number of times using 1/4 cup of besan and it has worked well.Sometimes I add finely chopped veggies to the batter which taste really good.
thanks winnie. the batter consistency will depend on the quality of besan and oats. adjustments can always be made in any recipe and nice to know that the 1/4 cup besan proportion works well for you. happy cooking.
Hi..I hv tried this recipe and so many of your recipes ..all are very easy and simple to cook and ingredients which you used in you used in the recipes are easily available in the kitchen ..thnx
Welcome Rupinder. Glad to know that you like the recipes. Thanks for sharing your positive feedback.
Tried this awesome recipe with rolled oats n it was perfect.. Thanks for such lovely, yummy and healthy recipes.. Keep spreading the joy of cooking <3
Welcome Sri vidya. Thanks for your positive feedback.
I usually add suji in this with siya paneer.
Neharika, good to know this.
Hello ma’am,
Your recipes are so easy to make and indeed easy to follow
but this time when I tried this the chillas fell apart.
What could have been the problem?
Thanks Zainab. The oats cheela batter had become very thin. Cheela Batter should be of medium consistency. you could have added some more besan (gram flour) to thicken the batter.
Hi. Can I use steel cut oats?
Karanpreet, i think you can use them.
Hi Dassana you and your recipes are really wonderful. Whenever I need to cook something different from my routine cooking I always look at your website. There are heaps of recipes beautifully explained which help in cooking excellent dishes. Thank you so much for all your effort and time. God bless you always with lots of success and happiness. Loads of love ????
Welcome Monika. Thanks for your kind words and positive feedback. Glad to know that you like the recipes.
I want to try this recipe but i dont have the white oats that you have used in ur recipe… I have saffola masala oats..can i use the masala oats instead? Pls let me know so i can make it for my son. Love your website as i always refer your website for recipes. Thanks in advance
princy, you can try with masala oats. i am not sure how the chillas will taste as i make them with plain oats.
Gm…Though having all d ingredients at home… I’m still clueless of what to cook for breakfast… Since it’s a challenge every morning. Then I simply check ur breakfast section n my tension is over 🙂 thanks so much for coming up with Simple n Effective ideas 🙂
welcome always manasi 🙂 thank you for your kind words and positive feedback.
Hi….I tried out this recipe yesterday as an after school snack for my daughter, she loved it. Thanks for the recipe. I didn’t have enough of bean so I added wheat flour instead….thanks for d tasty n healthy option.
welcome sheena 🙂 thankyou for the positive views and glad your daughter liked the besan chilla.
Thank you for this healthy recipe ! It is a hit and has successfully replaced instant noodles at home. !!
thats nice to know and welcome aparna 🙂
Looks yummy, will definitely try it out.
Is it possible to use steel cut oats ?
thanks priti. you will have to give a try. not sure as i have never used them.
I have tried it n its just superb. Thanku so much. Looking for another easy n fast to cook recipes. 🙂
welcome shikha and thankyou 🙂
I have tried the recipe and it’s wonderful. Thank u so much. Looking for another easy and fast to cook recipes. 🙂
Definitely going to try this recipe. I’d like to know if we can substitute besan with any other flour.
in a chilla recipe, besan is always used. if using any other flour, it will be like a dosa or adai. you can use rice flour, wheat flour, millet flours. many variations are possible 🙂