Sometimes it is nice to make some homemade breakfasts. Besan chilla is a classic Indian dish which can be adapted to make your regular menu more interesting. The batter is made with gram flour, chopped vegetables and a few spices. I really like adding some onion, capsicum and grated carrot to the batter to give the pancakes some variety in texture. It is easy to adjust the ingredients depending on what you have available.
At a Glance:
- Besan chilla is made using besan (chickpea flour) and spices.
- They have a mildly spicy and savory flavour.
- Besan chilla is very versatile and can be stuffed with fillings, so they are a hit with vegetarians.
- They can be served with chutneys, yoghurt, pickles, ketchup and a fresh salad.
- It only takes 15 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook, so it can be put together in 25 minutes.
- Other variations of this dish can be made using moong dal, oats, rava, buckwheat and multigrain chilla.
The Ingredients:
- Besan (gram flour) – 1 cup
- Onion – ¼ cup (very finely chopped)
- Capsicum – ¼ cup (very finely chopped)
- Coriander – ¼ cup (very finely chopped)
- Carrot – ¼ cup (finely chopped)
- Rock salt – 1 tbsp
- Chaat masala – 1 tbsp
- Water as much as required
- White oil as much as required for brushing for frying each chilla
How to Make Besan Chilla (Step by Step Images)?
1. Pour the besan into a bowl.
2. Add all the chopped vegetables, chaat masala and rock salt.
(Pro tip: Avoid a lot of vegetables in the mix. They will release too much moisture and can make the chilla difficult to cook through.)
3. Mix well
4. Add a small amount of water. Mix well.
5. Add more water in batches and keep mixing.
6. Make sure the batter gets a semi-thick consistency.
7. Put a non stick pan on the gas stove.
8. Brush a bit of white oil on it.
9. Take a ladle of the batter and fry it in the pan.
10. Cover the pan with a lid. Cook for a few minutes on a low to medium flame.
11. Take off the lid. Flip the chilla.
(Pro Tip: If the chilla sticks when you try to flip it, give it another minute instead of forcing it loose.)
12. Brush a few drops of oil. Put the lid back over the pan.
13. Let the chilla cook for 5 minutes on a low to medium heat. Remove it when done.
14. Besan chilla is ready.
Variations to Try
- Adding a few finely chopped green chillies gives some real punch to my chilla.
- I sometimes add crushed paneer, which makes it much more filling.
- I experiment sometimes and add a little amchur powder to give it a slight tang.
- I also add a little ajwain a few times to give it a unique smell that goes really well with gram flour.
Besan Chilla Recipe Quick Fixes
Q: My besan chilla has a raw taste. Why?
A: Gram flour requires a good amount of cooking to remove the raw taste. If needed, turn the flame to medium heat instead of low to medium in step 10 and cook the bottom well.
Q: Why are the vegetables coming out from my chilla while cooking?
A: The vegetables are probably not chopped finely. Chop them very finely next time so that they get mixed very well in the batter.
Q: My besan chilla is getting brown fast but is still soft inside. What should I do?
A: First, check whether or not the vegetables are finely chopped. Also, you might have put a lot of vegetables in the mix. Turn the flame to low and cook the middle for longer.
Q: How can I avoid my besan chilla having a bitter taste from the coriander?
A: Always use fresh coriander leaves and do not use the stems. I also recommend chopping the leaves up very finely and adding them to the batter in step 2.
Recipe Card:
Besan Chilla (Gram Flour Pancake)
Ingredients
- Besan gram flour – 1 cup
- Onion – ¼ cup very finely chopped
- Capsicum – ¼ cup very finely chopped
- Coriander – ¼ cup very finely chopped
- Carrot – ¼ cup finely chopped
- Rock salt – 1 tbsp
- Chaat masala – 1 tbsp
- Water as much as required
- White oil as much as required for brushing for frying each chilla
Instructions
- Pour the besan into a bowl.
- Add all the chopped vegetables, chaat masala and rock salt. (Pro tip: Avoid a lot of vegetables in the mix. They will release too much moisture and can make the chilla difficult to cook through.)
- Mix well.
- Add a small amount of water. Mix well.
- Add more water in batches and keep mixing.
- Make sure the batter gets a semi-thick consistency.
- Put a non-stick pan on the gas stove.
- Brush a bit of white oil on it.
- Take a ladle of the batter and fry it in the pan.
- Cover the pan with a lid. Cook for a few minutes on a low to medium flame.
- Take off the lid. Flip the chilla. (Pro Tip: If the chilla sticks when you try to flip it, give it another minute instead of forcing it loose.)
- Brush a few drops of oil. Put the lid back over the pan.
- Let the chilla cook for 5 minutes on a low to medium heat. Remove it when done.
- Besan chilla is ready.
