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

Table 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 comprises different wholesome elements, together with onions, inexperienced chili peppers and spices like turmeric and cayenne.

Usually, 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 be a type of chilla.

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

However the resemblance is completely skin-deep as a result of they style fairly totally 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 if you happen to spray the skillet with cooking spray as a substitute 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 should turn out to be one among your favourite breakfast recipes for certain.
Straightforward. This can be a quite simple recipe to place collectively, even if you’re a reasonably inexperienced cook dinner.
Nutritious. All the things on this besan chilla is basically, actually good for you.
Gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free and vegan. It’s pleasant to all diets.

Components

Besan (chickpea flour). The perfect type 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 produced from the bigger beige chickpeas we’re extra aware of 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 pink 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 (pink onions are greatest), spinach and different veggies of your alternative (see useful ideas under for concepts).
Onions. Purple onions are greatest, 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 ideas

You can also make a chilla oil-free, however utilizing a bit little bit of fats to coat the non-stick griddle or skillet helps create crispy edges. For greatest outcomes use a cast-iron skillet. For even crispier edges, you’ll be able to 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 it’s essential sift within the chickpea flour is to keep away from any lumps that may very well be exhausting 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. Whenever 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 likely 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 an everyday 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. In case you use greens that specific an excessive amount of liquid, like summer season squash, mushrooms and tomatoes, be sure to give sufficient time for the elements to sit down round after they’re blended so the veggies specific their liquids earlier than you add water.
Mint and cilantro are wonderful 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 recommendations

Storage directions

Besan chilla tastes greatest when it is made contemporary. However in case you 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 preserve 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 a particularly nutritious meals.

Is besan chilla good for a weight-loss food regimen?

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 food regimen. You possibly can additional scale back the energy by cooking the chilla with cooking spray as a substitute of oil.

Is the chilla suited to a low-carb food regimen?

There are 13 web carbs in every chilla, so it may be a part of a smart low-carb food regimen. You possibly can reduce down the carbs to 11 grams by skipping the rice flour.

Extra yummy chickpea flour recipes

Love this besan chilla recipe? Take a look at extra north Indian recipes on Holy Cow Vegan!