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four pieces of besan chilla served on a blue plate with green chutney in a bowl
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Besan Chilla

Besan Chilla or Cheela also known as vegan omelette is a very tasty, vegan and gluten-free breakfast recipe from India, made with chickpea flour.
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Indian, North Indian
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 7 chilla
Calories 154kcal
Author Vandana Chauhan

Ingredients

  • 2 cups chickpea flour besan
  • 2 cups water adjust to get the required consistency
  • 1/4 cup button mushrooms finely chopped
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 1 small tomato finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp capsicum finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp mung bean sprouts
  • 1 green chili finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon carrom seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder optional
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • Salt as per taste
  • Oil as required optional, if using non stick pan

Instructions

  • Put the chickpea flour in a mixing bowl. Add water - 1/2 cup at a time till you get beaten eggs or dosa like consistency. Mix well to make sure there are no lumps.
  • Now add all the vegetables and herbs. Mix nicely.
  • Finally, add the spices and salt. Mix and keep aside.
  • Heat a griddle or flat pan. Apply some oil if using. Take around 1 ladle full of batter and pour on the pan. Gently spread on the pan with the backside of the ladle.
  • Cook till the top side becomes dry and looks cooked. Flip the cheela with the help of a flat spatula. You may put on a lid on the pan to fasten the process.
  • Now, cook the other side also till it gets golden brown spots.
  • Take out on a plate and serve with your favorite chutney, dip, raita or just a cup of tea.

Notes

  • You can also add the puree of any blanched vegetable like spinach, beetroot, peas to make it more nutritious.
  • If you are a vegetarian, add grated paneer to make it richer in protein. Vegans may add grated tofu.
  • Instead of water, you can also mix any leftover dal with the chickpea flour and make cheela with it.
  • Some people complain that they don’t like the taste or smell of chickpea flour. If you slightly roast the chickpea flour in a pan before mixing it with water, that peculiar taste of besan which some people don’t like will go away.

Nutrition

Calories: 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 50mg | Potassium: 366mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 231IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 2mg