Chilla or Besan cheela are simple savory pancakes made with gram flour, spices and herbs. These make for a great breakfast and can be eaten with a chutney or tea.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 6 minutes
  • Cook time: 14 minutes
  • Total time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 · 4 to 5 cheela
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Cuisine: North Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (110 grams) besan ((gram flour))
  • ½ teaspoon ajwain ((carom seeds))
  • ⅓ to ½ teaspoon sea salt ((or as needed))
  • ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
  • 3 tablespoons (30 grams) onions ((1 small onion chopped finely))
  • 3 tablespoons (40 grams) tomatoes ((1 small tomato chopped finely))
  • 1 green chili (or serrano pepper chopped finely)
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (chopped finely)
  • ⅔ to 1 cup (160 to 240 ml) water
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil (or ghee as needed)

Method

Preparation

  1. Add besan, ajwain, turmeric and salt to a mixing bowl. Mix everything well.
  2. Add ginger, tomatoes, onions, coriander leaves and chilies. Pour enough water and make a batter of thick but pourable consistency. If needed add more water as needed.

How to make Besan Chilla

  1. Heat a pan and grease it lightly with few drops of oil.
  2. Allow it to turn hot and reduce the flame to medium.
  3. Mix the batter well from the bottom. Take a ladle of batter and pour it in the center. Quickly spread it to a round cheela.
  4. Drizzle some oil around the edges and the center.
  5. Allow to cook until the edges leave the pan. Flip it to the other side.
  6. Press down the edges with a spatula. Fry until it is cooked completely and gets golden spots.
  7. Remove to a serving plate. To make the next one ensure the pan is hot enough and not very hot otherwise they will brown too quickly.
  8. Serve besan cheela with some tea or chutney.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.