Besan chilla (gram flour pancake)
Reviewed by Dr Namrata Bagaria, MBBS, MPH (Harvard)Last reviewed
This is the breakfast to know if you are trying to get more protein into the morning without much effort. Gram flour is already in the house, nothing needs soaking the night before, and the whole thing takes about as long as making tea.
It is also soft, which matters more than people admit. Anyone with sore gums, loose dentures or a dry mouth finds toast and biscuits hard work, and quietly eats less protein as a result.
Ingredients
- 1 cup gram flour (besan)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 small tomato, finely chopped
- A handful of spinach or coriander, chopped
- 1 green chilli, chopped, optional
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- Salt to taste
- About 1 cup water
- Oil for cooking
Method
- 1
Put the gram flour in a bowl with the turmeric, cumin and salt. Add water a little at a time, whisking, until you have a smooth batter about the thickness of cream. Lumps now are lumps later, so take a moment over it.
- 2
Stir in the onion, tomato, greens and chilli. Let it sit for five minutes if you have time; it is fine if you do not.
- 3
Heat a little oil in a pan over medium heat. Pour in a ladleful and spread it gently outwards into a round.
- 4
Cook for two to three minutes until the edges lift and the underside is golden, then turn and give it another minute or two.
- 5
Serve hot with curd or a coriander chutney.
Good to know
- For more protein still, whisk two tablespoons of curd into the batter, or serve it with a bowl of curd rather than chutney.
- Grated bottle gourd or carrot disappears into the batter and adds fibre without changing the taste much.
- The batter keeps in the fridge for a day, so making double is worth the effort.
- If you are watching your blood sugar, this is a good breakfast: reasonable protein, high fibre and slower to raise it than bread or poha.