South Asian · 25 min · Easy · 4 pancakes

Savory Chickpea Pancakes (Besan Chilla)

Name: Savory Chickpea Pancakes (Besan Chilla)
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1⅔ cups chickpea flour (besan); ½ tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp ground cumin; ½ tsp chili powder; ½ red onion, finely diced; 1 tomato, deseeded and finely diced; 1 green chili, finely chopped; 2⅛ oz baby spinach, finely shredded; 1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped; 3 tbsp vegetable oil; salt, to taste; 1¼ cups water

Thin, lacy gram-flour pancakes studded with onion, tomato, chili and cilantro. High-protein, naturally gluten-free, and on the plate in twenty-five minutes.

~260 cal per serving — Calories are approximate, per serving — a guide only.

gluten-freesoy-freenut-freehigh-protein

Plan it:

Method

1
Whisk the batter
Whisk the chickpea flour with the water, the turmeric, cumin, chili powder and a good pinch of salt until completely smooth. It should be the consistency of single cream — add water a splash at a time if it is thick.
2
Rest the batter
⏱ 10 min
Leave the batter to stand. This lets the flour hydrate and takes the raw, chalky edge off the finished pancake.
3
Add the vegetables
Stir the red onion, tomato, green chili, spinach and cilantro through the batter.
4
Cook the pancakes
⏱ 15 min
Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Ladle in a quarter of the batter and swirl to spread it thin. Cook until the surface looks dry and the edges lift, then drizzle a little oil around the rim, flip, and cook the second side until golden. Repeat with the rest.

Notes

Resting the batter matters — skip it and the chilla tastes raw. Medium heat, not high: gram flour browns fast but needs time to cook through. Good with chutney, pickle or just lemon.

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Method

Whisk the batter

Rest the batter

Add the vegetables

Cook the pancakes

Notes