Besan Chilla, Pudla or Besan ka Cheela is an easy Indian breakfast recipe made with chickpea flour or gram flour, onion, herbs and few spices. Easy instant chilla recipe for busy mornings. No soaking or grinding. Gluten-free, Vegetarian and Vegan, these savory pancakes doubles up as snack and can be packed in kids school lunch boxes.
Busy mornings call for quick and easy breakfast and IMO, Besan Chilla wins hands down! An easy Indian Style Savory Chickpea Flour Pancake (also gluten-free) recipe, made under 30 mins using pantry staples. You may call it a Vegetarian omelet.
Besan ka Chilla is wholesome, filling and delicious. This protein-rich, easy instant chilla recipe is a great replacement for roti or chapati. Doubles up as dinner with sabzi or soup.
Besan Cheela is gluten-free, vegan, soy-free and nut-free.
Jump to:
- Why you’ll love this recipe
- About Besan Chilla or Besan Cheela
- Ingredients for Besan Chilla
- How to make Besan Chilla
- Variations
- Storage Suggestions / Leftover / Re-heating
- Serving Suggestions
- Other Chilla Recipes
- Easy Breakfast Recipes under 30 mins
- Besan Chilla | Besan Ka Chilla (Indian Chickpea Flour Pancakes)
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Minimal prep work.
- Easily customizable according to available ingredients from refrigerator / pantry.
- Budget friendly and economical.
- Easily made by beginners, students in hostel dorms etc.
- Make ahead for busy mornings.
About Besan Chilla or Besan Cheela
Chilla is an Indian crepe or pancake of sorts. In India, Chilla (Cheela) is a popular and commonly made breakfast recipe. Originally from North Indian Cuisine, this easy and protein rich recipe has made its presence felt all over the world.
Chilla is made with store bought flours or soaked, ground lentils (moong dal, chana dal, masoor dal)
Nutritionists recommend eating Chilla made with gram flour or sprouts for breakfast or snack as its protein-rich and keeps you full.
Chilla is a great gluten-free substitute for high-protein veggie wraps. Stuff it with paneer, scrambled tofu or sautéed veggies.
Ingredients for Besan Chilla
Besan, Gram Flour, Chickpea Flour or Garbanzo beans flour – In India, besan is used in making dishes like Kadhi, Pakoras, Dhokla, Bhaji, Chilla etc. An Indian pantry is incomplete without a jar of besan. It is naturally gluten-free.
Shelf life like most flours is a couple of months. Keep away from moisture.
Spices – Turmeric and Kashmiri Red Chili (substitute with Paprika)
Carom Seeds – Ajwain. It almost tastes like dried thyme and added to chilla, paratha etc. Helps with easy digestion.
Onion – Use regular onions OR spring onions (scallion) (both the white and green portion).
Green Chilies – Indians love their chilies and my family is no exception.
You can skip this ingredient if you like OR use a variety that suits your taste buds and heat tolerance. Note – Remove the seeds of chilies – much easier and safe!
Lots of Cilantro or Coriander (a must)
How to make Besan Chilla
In a mixing bowl, add chickpea flour, finely chopped onions, green chilies and finely chopped coriander or cilantro.
To this, add the spices (turmeric and red chili powder), salt and carom seeds.
Add water and whisk gently until it forms lump-free batter consistency. Note - Adjust consistency of the batter according to your preference. For a thicker, pancake style batter, add less water.
Heat a griddle, cast iron pan or non-stick tava. Season with few drops of oil.
Pour 1 ladle of batter onto the hot griddle and gently spread the batter in clockwise direction, until it resembles a round pancake.
Drizzle oil on the sides and center. Once the edges have browned, lift the chilla using a spatula and flip it. Cook on the other side for 1-2 minutes. Remove onto a serving plate and serve piping hot.
Variations
Tomato Omelet – A variation of Besan Chilla made by adding lots of tomatoes.
Crispy Besan Chilla Recipe – Besan Chilla made with gram flour is soft. For a crispy texture, add rice flour to the batter. Rice flour is gluten-free. Refer to the recipe card for exact measurements.
Besan Chilla with Veggies – Use seasonal veggies. Beets, Carrot, Steamed Corn, Zucchini, Bell Peppers etc are some of the options we love.
Add vegetable Puree – Spinach, Beets, Carrot etc. This is specially for toddlers or small kids who dislike veggies.
Besan chilla with paneer stuffing – For Vegans, use scrambled tofu as stuffing to make it filling and nutritious.
Make it more healthy by adding greens – finely chopped Spinach or Kale are best choices!
Ragi Besan Chilla – Combination of Ragi (finger millet flour), Semolina (suji, rava) and besan is a great idea. Ragi is a good source of plant base calcium and the flour is gluten free. Semolina will add a crispy texture and make it a lot less dense.
Suji Besan Chilla – A portion of sooji (rava, semolina) can be added to the batter. It adds a nice crispy texture.
Cabbage Besan Chilla – Add finely shredded cabbage to the batter and cook it on a hot griddle like fritters.
Flax Seeds or Sesame Seeds
Storage Suggestions / Leftover / Re-heating
I wouldn’t recommend storing chilla batter in the refrigerator. As the flour is gluten-free, the batter tends to stick to the griddle, making it difficult to spread and cook.
Cooked chilla on the other hand can be made-ahead and refrigerated for 3-4 days. It can be reheated in microwave. This is great for meal planning or urgent hunger pangs.
Besan cheela is best served with Chutney (Green Chutney, Cilantro Mint Chutney) and tomato ketchup.
Serving Suggestions
Bread Chilla Sandwich – In India, Chilla is mostly eaten with a slice of bread on the side for breakfast. My husband loves it with a side of buttered toast. He also enjoys stuffing chilla between two slices of bread with a layer of chutney. Makes a wholesome sandwich.
Besan Chilla Wrap – Besan Chilla makes a wholesome gluten-free wrap. It can be stuffed with sauteed vegetables, paneer bhurji or tofu (vegan), Asian veggie stir fry etc. This makes a wholesome lunch.
Other Chilla Recipes
Moong Sprouts Chilla (Sprouted Mung Beans)
Easy Breakfast Recipes under 30 mins
Granola (can be made-ahead in bulk and served with milk or yogurt and fruits)
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Besan Chilla | Besan Ka Chilla (Indian Chickpea Flour Pancakes)
Equipment
- Griddle or Non-stick Tawa
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Besan chickpea flour, gram flour
- 2 Onions medium size, finely chopped
- 2 green chilies finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon Ajwain or Carom Seeds
- ¼ cup Finely chopped cilantro or coriander
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chilli powder
- salt to taste
- 1 ¼ cups water read instructions 3 below
- Oil as required to cook chilla
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add chickpea flour, finely chopped onions, green chilies and finely chopped coriander or cilantro.
- To this, add the spices (turmeric and red chili powder), salt and carom seeds.
- Mix the ingredients. Add water and whisk gently until it forms batter consistency. Note - Adjust consistency of the batter according to your preference. For a thicker, pancake style batter, add less water.
- Heat a griddle, cast iron pan or non-stick tava. Season it with oil.
- Pour 1 ladle of batter onto the hot griddle and gently spread the batter in clockwise direction, until it resembles a round pancake.
- Drizzle oil on the side and center. Once the edges have browned, lift the chilla using a spatula and flip it. Cook on the other side for 1-2 minutes until golden brown. Remove and serve piping hot.
- Repeat the process with the remaining batter. You can stack them one above the other and store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Tomato Omelet – A variation of Besan Chilla made by adding lots of tomatoes.
- Crispy Besan Chilla Recipe – Besan Chilla made with gram flour is soft. For a crispy texture, add rice flour to the batter. Include 2 tablespoons of Rice flour to the above recipe.
- Besan Chilla with Veggies – Use seasonal veggies. Beets, Carrot, Steamed Corn, Zucchini, Bell Peppers etc. Add vegetable Puree – Spinach, Beets, Carrot etc. This is specially for toddlers or small kids who dislike veggies.
- Besan chilla with paneer stuffing – Vegans can use Scrambled tofu.
- Greens - Spinach, Chard, Kale.
- Ragi Besan Chilla – Ragi 1/4 cup, Suji 3 tablespoons + Besan (1 & 1/2 cups). Add sufficient water to adjust consistency. Rest the batter for 10 mins before making chilla.
- Suji Besan Chilla – 1/4 cup Suji (rava, semolina) can be added to the batter. It adds a nice crispy texture. Semolina is derived from wheat so the chilla will not be gluten-free. Add sufficient water to adjust consistency. Rest the batter for 10 mins before making chilla.
- Cabbage Besan Chilla – Add finely shredded cabbage to the batter and cook it on a hot griddle like fritters.
- Flax Seeds or Sesame Seeds
- I wouldn’t recommend storing chilla batter in the refrigerator. As the flour is gluten-free, the batter tends to stick to the griddle, making it difficult to spread and cook.
- Cooked chilla on the other hand can be made-ahead and refrigerated for 3-4 days. It can be reheated in a microwave. This is great for meal planning or urgent hunger pangs.
- Besan chilla is best served with Chutney (Green Chutney, Cilantro Mint Chutney) and tomato ketchup.
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We will be back again with yet another exciting recipe .. Until then, stay healthy and happy!
Vidya Narayan
We love besan pancakes, and this recipe is one of the best. The spices and add-ins make this recipe special.
Am making it again today, not even just for breakfast or lunch, but to serve alongside a bowl of Gumbo-Chili; we're all about fusion cooking. Vidya's descriptions, tips, and instructions, with so many good ideas for variants, would be great in a cookbook --- hint, hint! Thanks so much!
Thank you for the kind words and I am so glad you liked it. Appreciate it! PS - Do try Moong Dal Chilla if you are looking for such healthy protein rich pancake recipes.