Besan Cheela (Chickpea Flour Savory Pan Cakes)
A quick snack or breakfast pancake! Made from chickpea flour, it is high in protein, very filling, and great before your morning workout!
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.
Notes
You can also add finely chopped or grated raw vegetables to the mix.
I sometimes like to add 1/4 cup of fresh or dried kasturi methi (ready-made dried fenugreek leaves).
For added protein, I will sometimes add a beaten egg.
To change things around I will add a half cup of leftover dal to the besan flour along with some chopped onions, green chilies (to taste), and cilantro. Just make sure the consistency is like pancake batter.
Enjoy!