Besan Chilla (Chickpea Flour Crepe)

Besan chilla, sometimes referred to as an eggless “omelet” is a savory pancake made using chickpea flour. The flour is mixed with water, spices and vegetables like tomatoes and onions to make a thick batter.

 This is a simple and healthy preparation, perfect for breakfast, and can be made in less than 15 minutes.

I like my chillas thin, so I add a lot of liquid while making the batter so that it spreads out while cooking. I’ve used a combination of buttermilk and water here. The chillas taste best when they are eaten as soon as they are made.

Ingredients:

(makes 7- 8 thin chillas)

• 1 cup besan (chickpea flour/ gram flour)
• ½ cup rice flour
• 2 Tbsp rava/sooji (cream of wheat)
• ½ cup cooked quinoa (optional- I only used it because I had leftovers)
• ½ medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 tomato, finely diced
• A handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped
• 3-4 green chillies, finely chopped
• 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
• 1 tsp roasted coriander powder
• 1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
• 1 cup reduced fat buttermilk
• ½ - ¾ cup water
• Salt
• Oil

Method:

Add the besan, rava, rice flour, cooked quinoa, chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves, green chillies, cumin powder, coriander powder, ajwain and salt to a large bowl. Add a cup of buttermilk and enough water, mixing well to get a smooth and lump-free batter.

Heat a non-stick griddle or a cast-iron pan. Pour a ladleful of the batter in the center of the pan. Tilt the pan around to spread out the batter.

Add a few drops of oil around the edges of the chilla and also a little in the center. Cook till it turns golden brown on the bottom, then flip over and cook the other side till you see a few golden brown spots. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Serve hot with chutney. 

 

Surali Wadi

I make Suralichi Wadi, a popular Maharashtrian snack, also called Khandvi in Gujarat, very often following this recipe from One Hot Stove . Over time, I’ve made a couple of minor changes to the original recipe.

Here’s what I do:
I cook the besan-buttermilk mixture on the stove top- I’d used the microwave for this the very first time, but I find that the stovetop method works better for me.

I like to add a few finely chopped green chillies (or red chilli flakes), some ginger paste and a handful of finely chopped coriander leaves to the mixture while it’s cooking.

I spread the cooked mixture on a few sheets of aluminum foil - makes clean-up so very easy!

In a saucepan, mix together 1 cup chickpea flour (besan), 1 ½ cups buttermilk, chopped green chillies, ginger paste, chopped coriander leaves, salt and a pinch of turmeric. Whisk together to get a smooth and lump-free mixture. Cook on low heat whisking constantly to keep it smooth. The mixture will thicken as it cooks. Cook till done (this usually takes me 5-10 minutes).

Quickly spread the cooked mixture as thinly and evenly as possible on a flat surface. I find that a spatula works really well for spreading.

While the mixture’s cooling, prepare the tempering. Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds and asafoetida. Pour the tempering all over the surface and also sprinkle grated coconut and fresh coriander leaves.

Cut into thin strips and roll.

Instant Khaman Dhokla

After several unsuccessful attempts at making dhokla, I finally managed to find a recipe that gave me fantastic results. The recipe I followed was Daagh's and it can be found here.

Ingredients:

For the dhokla batter:

1 cup chickpea flour/ besan

1 Tbsp semolina/ rava/ sooji

1/2 to 3/4 cup water (I used a little more than 1/2 cup but a little less than 3/4 cup)

Juice of a lemon

1 Tbsp oil

2 green chillies, chopped finely

2 tsp sugar

A pinch of turmeric

Salt

1 tsp Eno fruit salt

For the tempering/sugar solution:

2 Tbsp oil

1-2 tsp mustard seeds

A pinch of asafoetida

2 green chillies, finely chopped

4-5 curry leaves, chopped

2 tsp sugar

Juice of a lemon

For garnishing:

2-3 Tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Method:

Combine the chickpea flour, semolina, lemon juice, oil, green chillies, sugar, turmeric powder and salt in a bowl. Add enough water to make a smooth and lump-free batter.

Just before steam cooking the batter, add the Eno fruit salt and mix.

Steam the batter for 15-20 minutes. (I greased one of the stainless steel containers that came with my pressure cooker and steamed the batter in my cooker without using the weight.)

While the batter’s cooking, get the sugar solution ready. Heat the oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds and asafoetida and let the seeds pop. Add the curry leaves and chopped green chillies and turn off the heat. Then add the lemon juice and sugar and mix.

Once the dhokla is ready (a toothpick inserted should come out clean when it’s done), poke a few holes all over the surface of it and pour the sugar solution all over the steamed cake while it is still warm. Cool for a bit, cut into wedges and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with some green chutney and tamarind-date chutney.