Quick Besan Chilla(savory chickpea flour crepes)

Whether you are looking for a new savory breakfast option or just trying to find alternatives to eating eggs everyday, this besan chilla is the perfect option for you!

More about Besan Chilla

Besan chilla or cheela as it is called across the various parts of Northern India is basically a crepe made from ground chickpea lentils. Besan refers to flour ground from split chickpea lentils. Funnily enough, in the southern parts of India, we used to call chilla, tomato "omelet" 😀. And today its so interesting to see chickpea flour being widely used in place of eggs in plenty of dishes.

Now this isn't just some boring lentil wraps or crepes! Nope, chillas typically contain some spices and even vegetables like onions, tomatoes etc. I like loading my food with extra vegetables and its no different this time around. This is a great vehicle to eat lots of veggies and more so if you are trying to get your little ones to eat more.

I have listed the major ingredients in the "Ingredient" section below. The full list with the recipe is in the recipe card below.

Some reasons to try Besan Chilla

• This a naturally vegan and gluten-free dish that is protein rich
• The recipe calls for store bought gram flour(chickpea flour). Hence, there is no need for soaking, grinding etc. This is a one bowl recipe.
• Chilla is the perfect vehicle to carry whatever veggies or flavor profile you like. You can choose to use regular Indian spices. You can also mix in some fresh herbs, or any other spices/spice blends of your choice.
• The batter is perfect for making ahead and whipping up the chillas anytime.
• Use the besan chillas as a base for making gluten-free wraps/rolls, tacos etc.

Ingredients

Besan Flour(Chickpea Flour) - I pick these up from the Indian store. The bag will usually read "Besan" and the flour will be yellow toned. If you prefer, you can also soak the chana dal(split chickpea lentils)in water and grind it down to a batter. The chana dal will need to be soaked for at least 4-5 hours prior to grinding.

Vegetables - I used finely chopped yellow onions, tomatoes, grated carrots, grated green bell pepper(capsicum) along with chopped cilantro and green chilis(optional). I chopped the vegetables finely or grated them because I added them raw and they all get cooked on the griddle. You can also add other vegetables like cucumber, zucchini, cabbage etc.

If using chilis, you can either add the spicier bird's eye chili or any of the milder chilis like jalapeños.

Spices and aromatics - We will need turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder. We will also need Ajwain seeds(Carom seeds) and chopped fresh ginger. These latter two ingredients help with any side effects of eating a bean heavy dish like this.

Aquafaba - Aquafaba is the liquid that is leftover after chickpeas or other beans are cooked. They tend to act like a binding agent similar to egg whites. Now this is absolutely optional. I happened to have some and used 2 cups of it.

Substitutions

Chickpea Flour ---> Moong Flour - Besides chickpea based chillas, another common version uses the moong lentils or flour. Moong lentils is considered to be milder on the tummy and could be a better option if you are trying this for the first time. It can be used in the same quantity as the chickpea flour and is also gluten-free. You can also use half of the chickpea flour and half of moong flour in the recipe as well.

Cilantro ---> Curry Leaves - If not a fan of cilantro or don't have it home, try adding fresh curry leaves. You can also add the latter in addition to the former.

Chilis - These are optional. However if you are serving to a group of people who have different tolerance to heat, then just customize the chillas by sprinkling chopped green chilis on top once your pour out the batter on the griddle. Like this, you can only add it for those who like spicy food.

Vegetables, Spices and Add ins - Like I have mentioned in the ingredients section, you can choose any vegetables that you enjoy grated or finely chopped in the chillas.The same goes for the spice profile as well. I know there might be readers who will hate me for this but you can also add a sprinkling of vegan or regular cheese on top while on the griddle and it will be delicious.

Serving suggestions, meal prep and reheating

Chilla is typically eaten with chutneys like green chutney, sweet chutney like seen below. You can also serve alongside any sabji(veggie or paneer stir fry) or a gravy based dish like this Vegetable Sagu or Mushroom Matar.

Meal Prep - Make the batter and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I would not recommend freezing it since I am not sure how the batter would hold up to freezing.

You can make the chillas ahead of time and place on a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment sheet. Once cool, roll and fold the ends in before chilling it. These chillas should be good for 2-3 days. Again, I will not be able to recommend freezing since I have not given it a try. If you do and find out how it went, please let us know by leaving a comment below.

Reheating - Just reheat in the microwave or on the griddle at a low heat until throroughtly warm.

Try these other delicious breakfast options - Savory Quinoa Breakfast Bowl, Vegan Shakshuka, Zucchini Fritters, Paneer Bhurji, Ven Pongal(Savory Rice and Lentil Porridge), Fairfax Sandwich(Vegan Copycat "Egg Slut" Recipe)

If you liked this Besan chilla recipe, then let me know what you think by leaving a comment below. You can also leave any questions or feedback below. You can also follow along on social media at Pinterest or Facebook.

Recipe