It is the month of February. A good month to visit India. We are on a quick visit to my husband’s brother and family. It is worth the long plane ride to see them again.
The windows are open, and there is a cool breeze passing through the second-story flat. I am up early despite the late night of catching up with each other. I sit, feet curled up on the sofa, reading the newspaper while the sweeper mops the floor. I watch fascinated as she squats on her haunches and runs the old towel she uses as a mop over the marble floor. She does that all the way across the room without getting up to stretch herself. The mop bucket is moved along with her as she keeps dipping and wringing the towel before scrubbing the floor again.
In India, dusting, sweeping, and mopping the floors are a daily affair. Everything smells fresh and clean. The sweeper turns the ceiling fan on full blast. I grab the newspaper before it flies away and weigh it down with a cushion. I wait until the floor dries, then walk across to the kitchen to see what the cook is fixing my nephew for brunch before he leaves for work.
Cook is a thin slip of a girl, barely up to my shoulders but with the energy of a hurricane. I watch as she puts together all the ingredients, questioning her as she goes along. I am out of practice speaking the local dialect, but amazingly she understands me!
I write the ingredients down, and later back home I use it as a quick snack or breakfast pancake! Since it is made from chickpea flour, it is high in protein and very filling.
Besan Cheela (Chickpea Flour Savory Pan Cakes)
Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- ¼ small yellow onion or shallot (chopped fine)
- 1 small tomato (chopped fine)
- 1 green chili (optional) (chopped fine)
- ¾ tsp ajwain (caraway seeds)
- ¼ tsp cumin seeds (slightly crushed)
- 1 tbsp green cilantro (chopped)
- ¾ tsp salt (or to taste)
- ¼ tsp chili powder (or to taste)
- ½ cup water (more or less to reach pancake batter consistency)
- ¾ tbsp cooking oil
Instructions
- Add the chickpea flour, turmeric, chili powder, cumin powder, salt, caraway, and cumin seeds in a small deep bowl.
- Add water, whisking slowly until you get a smooth pancake-like batter.
- Set aside for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, stir and add the chopped onions, tomatoes, green chili, and cilantro. Mix well. Make sure you get a nice flowing consistency, not too thin or too thick.
- Heat a nonstick griddle or broad frying pan over medium heat.
- Pour a ladle full or half a cup full of batter onto the hot griddle. Spread the batter around the pan in a quick circular motion with the back of a round metal to form a nice even pancake.
- Let cook for 2-3 minutes until the surface of the cheela starts to darken. Pour a teaspoonful of oil over and around the cheela. If you are not using a tava that has a natural slope to the center, pick up the pan and swirl the oil around a bit.
- When the edges start to brown, flip the cheela over and cook the other side the same way. If the pan seems too hot, lower the heat a bit.
- The pancakes should be well cooked with brown flecks. Lift with a spatula and place on a serving plate. I add a dollop of butter as it adds to the taste. You could also fold it in half before serving.
- Serve hot with any spicy chutney, tomato sauce, or salsa. I also like it with humus.
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