Besan Chilla (Indian Veg Omelet)

Besan Chilla, a savory, eggless, vegetarian omelet from North India, is loaded with wholesome protein from chickpea flour and tons of diet from veggies. It makes the right breakfast, brunch or lunch.

Besan chilla on black plate with red sauce.

Desk of Contents

What’s besan chilla?

Besan chilla (additionally referred to as besan cheela or puda or pudla) is a scrumptious and eggless north Indian pancake made with chickpea flour or besan. A chilla is extraordinarily nutritious — it’s low in fats, loaded with protein from the chickpea flour, and it normally incorporates different wholesome components, together with onions, inexperienced chili peppers and spices like turmeric and cayenne.

Typically, quick-cooking veggies are added to the chilla, making it even more healthy. You can also make chilla with different beans, like this yummy and intensely healthful sprouted moong chilla. A moonglet can also be a form of chilla.

In India, you’d discover besan chilla served up as road meals or in eating places underneath names like “vegetarian omelette” or “vegetable omelette”. It is easy to see why. A chilla resembles its eggy counterpart so carefully, you would possibly suppose they had been separated at start.

However the resemblance is completely skin-deep as a result of they style fairly completely different and weigh far aside on the well being scale. Whereas the standard omelet is loaded with ldl cholesterol, besan chilla has none, in fact, and it may be made practically fat-free in case you spray the skillet with cooking spray as an alternative of oil.

And dare I say it tastes higher?

Why you’ll love this recipe

Taste-packed. A chilla is simply so yummy, with the nutty chickpea flour, onions, chili peppers and cilantro creating magic collectively. The perimeters get golden-brown and crispy and decidedly scrumptious! It is going to grow to be one in every of your favourite breakfast recipes for positive.
Simple. It is a quite simple recipe to place collectively, even in case you are a reasonably inexperienced cook dinner.
Nutritious. Every thing on this besan chilla is actually, actually good for you.
Gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free and vegan. It’s pleasant to all diets.

Elements

Besan (chickpea flour). The perfect form of chickpea flour to make use of for this recipe is the sort you’d purchase from an Indian provider or grocer. Besan may be very finely floor and is made by milling brown chickpeas, whereas the flour labeled right here within the U.S. as “garbanzo bean flour” is coarser and constituted of the bigger beige chickpeas we’re extra conversant in hereabouts.
Rice flour. Rice flour provides a pleasant crunch to chilla and in addition refines the flavour. I used to make chilla with out rice flour however began utilizing it on the advice of my niece, Preethi, and it positively enhances the feel.
Spices: Turmeric, cayenne (or any purple chilli powder) and ajwain (carom seeds, non-obligatory).
Herbs: Ginger, garlic, cilantro (coriander leaves) and inexperienced chili peppers, like jalapeno or serrano peppers.
Veggies. Onions (purple onions are finest), spinach and different veggies of your selection (see useful suggestions under for concepts).
Onions. Crimson onions are finest, however yellow onions will do.
Oil for cooking chilla. You need to use cooking spray.

Besan chilla on black plate with chili garlic sauce in small bowl.

Useful suggestions

You can also make a chilla oil-free, however utilizing a bit of little bit of fats to coat the non-stick griddle or skillet helps create crispy edges. For finest outcomes use a cast-iron skillet. For even crispier edges, you may drizzle a little bit of oil alongside the perimeters of the chilla because it cooks, such as you would with a dosa.
Some cooks add a pinch of baking soda to the recipe, to make the chilla lighter and crispier. If you wish to add baking soda, add not more than ⅛th of a teaspoon or a beneficiant pinch to the batter proper earlier than you cook dinner the chilla. You’ll want to combine it in!
The explanation you’ll want to sift within the chickpea flour is to keep away from any lumps that might be onerous to do away with when you begin including water to the batter. Do not skip this step! Additionally add water slowly to keep away from any clumping.
You can also make the chilla as thick or skinny as you need by adjusting the amount of water within the batter, however do not overdo it. Once you add besan blended in water to a sizzling medium, the starches within the lentils bind with the water and agency up as they’re heated. This ensures that your chilla will probably be flippable, identical to an egg omelet. However including an excessive amount of water can create a batter that won’t bind so do not simply pour it in. I wanted 1 ½ cups of water for this batter, which makes reasonably skinny chillas. You possibly can add as much as ½ cup extra, however in all probability no more than that. The batter must be of pourable consistency and thinner than a daily pancake batter.
When including veggies to the chilla, use veggies that cook dinner rapidly, like finely chopped greens, bell peppers, inexperienced beans, carrots, beets, cabbage and cauliflower. Should you use greens that categorical an excessive amount of liquid, like summer season squash, mushrooms and tomatoes, be sure you give sufficient time for the components to sit down round after they’re blended so the veggies categorical their liquids earlier than you add water.
Mint and cilantro are superb with the remainder of the flavors in a besan chilla. Use one or the opposite or each! Or use one other savory herb, like rosemary or sage (use much less as a result of these are stronger herbs).

Serving strategies

Storage directions

Besan chilla tastes finest when it is made contemporary. However you probably have leftover chillas, refrigerate them in an hermetic container and reheat on the griddle earlier than serving. It’s preferable to retailer the batter within the fridge and make the chillas proper earlier than serving. The batter will hold within the fridge for as much as three days.

Recipe FAQs

Is besan chilla wholesome?

With 5 grams of heart-healthy protein, three grams of fiber and simply 157 energy in every satisfying chilla, that is an especially nutritious meals.

Is besan chilla good for a weight-loss weight loss plan?

As a result of the chilla is low in energy, excessive in fiber and protein, and fairly satisfying, it’s a nice meals to incorporate in a weight-loss weight loss plan. You possibly can additional cut back the energy by cooking the chilla with cooking spray as an alternative of oil.

Is the chilla suited to a low-carb weight loss plan?

There are 13 web carbs in every chilla, so it may be a part of a wise low-carb weight loss plan. You possibly can lower down the carbs to 11 grams by skipping the rice flour.

Extra yummy chickpea flour recipes

Love this besan chilla recipe? Try extra north Indian recipes on Holy Cow Vegan!

Besan Chilla (Indian Veg Omelet)

Besan Chilla, a savory, scrumptious and eggless Indian omelet, is loaded with wholesome protein from chickpea flour and tons of diet from veggies. It makes the right breakfast, brunch or lunch.

Print Recipe
Pin Recipe
Review Recipe

Course: Snack/Breakfast

Delicacies: Indian

Food plan: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: 6 chilla

Energy: 157kcal

Creator: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Prepare dinner ModeForestall your display screen from going darkish

Directions

Place all of the components in a mixing bowl and blend. Put aside for about quarter-hour. It will give the greens time to specific their liquids, providing you with a greater concept of how a lot water you’ll want to make the batter.
Pour in ½ cup water, combine, then add a bit of extra, combine once more. Do not add all the water directly. I wanted 1 ½ cups water complete.
Warmth a forged iron griddle or non-stick griddle. Coat the floor with oil or cooking spray. Pour some batter into the middle. I used a ½ cup measure crammed near however not all the best way to the brim for every pancake. You need to use the underside of the cup to unfold the batter barely, if wanted, and skinny out the chilla.
Prepare dinner this chilla till the underside is golden-brown and the highest is starting to dry. Flip over and cook dinner a pair extra minutes.
Serve sizzling.

Recipe notes

Useful suggestions

You can also make a chilla oil-free, however utilizing a bit of little bit of fats to coat the non-stick griddle or skillet helps create crispy edges. For finest outcomes use a cast-iron skillet. For even crispier edges, you may drizzle a little bit of oil alongside the perimeters of the chilla because it cooks, such as you would with a dosa.
Some cooks add a pinch of baking soda to the recipe, to make the chilla lighter and crispier. If you wish to add baking soda, add not more than ⅛th of a teaspoon or a beneficiant pinch to the batter proper earlier than you cook dinner the chilla. You’ll want to combine it in!
The explanation you’ll want to sift within the chickpea flour is to keep away from any lumps that might be onerous to do away with when you begin including water to the batter. Do not skip this step! Additionally add water slowly to keep away from any clumping.
You can also make the chilla as thick or skinny as you need by adjusting the amount of water within the batter, however do not overdo it. Once you add besan blended in water to a sizzling medium, the starches within the lentils bind with the water and agency up as they’re heated. This ensures that your chilla will probably be flippable, identical to an egg omelet. However including an excessive amount of water can create a batter that won’t bind so do not simply pour it in. I wanted 1 ½ cups of water for this batter, which makes reasonably skinny chillas. You possibly can add as much as ½ cup extra, however in all probability no more than that.
When including veggies to the chilla, use veggies that cook dinner rapidly, like greens, bell peppers, inexperienced beans, carrots, beets and cauliflower, and chop them fantastic. Should you use greens that categorical an excessive amount of liquid, like summer season squash, mushrooms and tomatoes, be sure you give sufficient time for the components to sit down round after they’re blended so the veggies categorical their liquids earlier than you add water.
Mint and cilantro are superb with the remainder of the flavors in a besan chilla. Use one or the opposite or each! Or use one other savory herb, like rosemary or sage (use much less as a result of these are stronger herbs).

Serving strategies

Storage directions

Besan chilla tastes finest when it is made contemporary. However you probably have leftover chillas, refrigerate them in an hermetic container and reheat on the griddle earlier than serving. It’s preferable to retailer the batter within the fridge and make the chillas proper earlier than serving. The batter will hold within the fridge for as much as three days.