By Anadi Misra ·
About this recipe
Crispy, protein-packed Indian Besan Chilla is the savory pancake you need. Made with spiced chickpea flour, it's quick to prepare and perfect as a healthy vegetarian starter or light meal.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy
Watch the recipe
This besan chilla is a savoury pancake made with a batter of besan/gram flour, chopped veggies and Indian spices. It’s crispy, warm and delicious! It’s quite easy to make too, so if you’re hungry, you can make it in no time!
By Anadi Misra ·
By Anadi Misra ·
I recommend this recipe for a fantastic brunch or dinner. It’s healthy, filling, and will warm you up!
I hadn’t made this recipe in years, but it was about time to finally share it! To get the full picture of how to make this chickpea flour pancake, make sure to watch the video! Also, if you’re not already subscribed to my YouTube channel, please do so and hit the bell icon so you receive the notifications when all my recipe videos go live! Let’s get cooking!
Besan is also known as gram flour, and in English it is translated to chickpea flour. However, besan is actually different from typical chickpea flour!
Besan/gram flour is made from brown chickpeas, known as kabuli chana. On other hand, in the West, chickpea flour/garbanzo flour is made from the white chickpeas you may be more familiar with. Besan is a finer type of flour and white chickpea flour is coarse. I wouldn’t recommend substituting besan with chickpea flour because the ratios of water to flour won’t be the same as if you were to use besan, as I will be using here. Furthermore, you’ll have a different taste than the besan, so I recommend you find besan! If you do try to substitute with white chickpea flour, let me know how that tastes and if you actually could substitute! However, do keep in mind difference in texture and flavour. For best results, I recommend you find besan/gram flour on Amazon or from your local South Asian grocer.
Chilla simply refers to an Indian crepes, and they can be savoury or sweet. There are many different flours or grains that can be used for the chilla batter. Here are some examples:
Let me know in the comments what type of chilla you’d like to see me make! I’ve honestly never tried any of these variations, but I would love to!
In my family, we actually referred to this dish as Besan ka Papada. I actually didn’t know this was called a chilla until someone on Instagram informed me that that is the proper name! If you Google Besan ka Papada, you won’t actually see recipes like this, but something else. Now I know, but because it was a family thing, I’ll keep referring to this besan crepe as Besan ka Papada!
Why wouldn’t you want to make these! This is a perfect breakfast or brunch (or even dinner!) for so many reasons:
Yes, it certainly is! For instance, you can add many more veggies if you’d like. I kept mine simple with only onions and green chillies because that’s the way we always had it at home and that’s the. wayI enjoy it. However, you can add a variety of veggies into your chilla, including:
So if you’re looking for a veggie-packed recipe, then you can mix and match your favourite veggies and add as many as your heart desires!
Furthermore, the besan itself is loaded with health benefits. Here are some examples:
Folate is is the most prominent mineral in besan, with over one hundred percent of the daily recommended value (RDI). The high protein and fibre content make besan more filling than both regular flour and whole wheat flour, since this combination increases satiety. Additionally, besan contains less calories overall than wheat flour, and will not spike your blood sugar since it is low on the Glycemic Index (GI). As a result, pancakes made with besan flour, especially combined with vegetables, can assist in weight loss since it is low in calories and loaded with nutrients.
For more details about all the health benefits of besan, check out the article by Healthline.
I wouldn’t recommend you make the actual pancake itself ahead of time since you’ll love the crispiness, which is a significant characteristic of this dish. However, you certainly can make the batter ahead of time. Because there are no eggs or milk in the batter, you can keep it for quite awhile. I would say to keep the batter for at most three or four days, since the batter may split.
The only dairy item that is used in this recipe is the ghee that’s used for cooking our chickpea pancakes and for topping. I’ve cooked these pancakes with olive oil and mustard oil before, but I’ve found that ghee makes the pancake the most flavorful. If you are vegan, then I certainly recommend that you use olive oil, mustard oil, or even coconut oil.
The batter should be like a pancake batter or gravy. It should coat the back of the spoon but not be thick like a brownie batter, but you don’t want it too thin and watery.
The simplest tip - a great pan will do most of the job for you. Look for a great non-stick pan and stay away from ceramic and stainless steel pan while preparing this recipe. With a great pan, using any oil will be optional.
Also make sure the pan is actually hot before adding in the batter. With a hot pan, an initial crust will be created instantly between the pan and the pancake. If the pan is not hot enough, the pancake may be tricky.
Time to review the ingredients we’ll need! All the magic will come from our batter! As mentioned earlier, I’m keeping the filling simple, but you could throw in veggies of your choice if you want!
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for theFULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD to save this post for later and to see
Mix all ingredients except the oil and water in a bowl.
Using a whisk, add in the water and mix until you have a smooth, runny batter.
Heat a pan on medium heat and add 1 tsp of ghee to the pan. Add in half a ladle (about 1/2 cup) of the batter and let the pancake set on the pan. Lift and swirl the pan to ensure the batter spreads in a thin layer across the pan.
Sprinkle some oil over the top of the pancake and cook until the edges start to turn golden brown or separate from the pan, about 2-3 minutes.
Flip the pancake and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side. A thin or low profile spatula is great to flip without breaking the pancake.
Fold the pancake in half or roll into a cigar and repeat steps 2-4 for the remaining batter.
Serve hot with a pickle or hot sauce.
There are plenty of options to serve. You can’t go wrong with chutneys, and my two favorites are Cilantro-Mint Chutney and Sweet & Tangy Tamarind Chutney. As you see in the photos and in the video, I served my gram flour pancakes with green chilli pickle, and you can serve with your favourite pickle! You can also serve with ketchup, your favourite hot sauce, and/or sour cream. You can’t go wrong with serving this with some Masala Chai or if you want a refreshing drink, then definitely go for a Mango Lassi!
Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!
Recipe by Anadi Misra
Crispy, protein-packed Indian Besan Chilla is the savory pancake you need. Made with spiced chickpea flour, it's quick to prepare and perfect as a healthy vegetarian starter or light meal.
Be the first to rate ✦
10 min
Prep
10 min
Cook
20 min
Total
7
pancakes
easy
Level
Tap any quantity to scale
Mix all ingredients except the oil and water in a bowl. Using a whisk, add in the water and mix until you have a smooth, runny batter.
Mix all ingredients except the oil and water in a bowl. Using a whisk, add in the water and mix until you have a smooth, runny batter.
Heat a pan on medium heat 1 tsp of ghee to the pan. Add in half a ladle (about ½ cup) of the batter and let the pancake set on the pan. Lift and swirl the pan to ensure the batter spreads in a thin layer across the pan.
Heat a pan on medium heat 1 tsp of ghee to the pan. Add in half a ladle (about ½ cup) of the batter and let the pancake set on the pan. Lift and swirl the pan to ensure the batter spreads in a thin layer across the pan.
Sprinkle some oil over the top of the pancake and cook until the edges start to turn golden brown or separate from the pan, about 2-3 minutes.
Sprinkle some oil over the top of the pancake and cook until the edges start to turn golden brown or separate from the pan, about 2-3 minutes.
Flip the pancake and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side. A thin or low profile spatula is great to flip without breaking the pancake.
Flip the pancake and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side. A thin or low profile spatula is great to flip without breaking the pancake.
Fold the pancake into in half or roll into a cigar and repeat steps 2-4 for the remaining batter. Serve hot with a pickle or hot sauce. Enjoy!
Fold the pancake into in half or roll into a cigar and repeat steps 2-4 for the remaining batter. Serve hot with a pickle or hot sauce. Enjoy!
209
Calories
2g
Protein
15g
Carbs
15g
Fat
1g
Fiber
1g
Sugar
292mg
Sodium
Did you make this recipe? Tag @cooking.with.anadi on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingwithanadi
Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen
Crispy, cheesy and packed with spice, this Indian Masala Cheese Toast is the ultimate easy breakfast. Ready in minutes with simple ingredients you already have at home.
Crispy, spiced, and ready in minutes! This easy masala corn fry is the perfect quick vegetarian snack or side. Bold Indian flavors make it an irresistible twist on classic corn chaat.
Make crispy, flavorful Air Fryer Chilli Paneer at home with this easy recipe. A delicious Indian starter ready in minutes — perfect for impressing guests or a tasty snack any day.
Crispy, golden Paneer Pakora ready in just 30 minutes! A classic Indian street food snack with a crunchy gram flour coating and soft, creamy paneer inside. Perfect vegetarian starter for any occasion.
Crispy, golden Aloo Tikki Chaat made Delhi street-style at home. Spiced potato patties topped with tangy chutneys and yogurt — the ultimate Indian street food starter.
Crispy, golden samosas stuffed with sweet corn, spicy jalapeno, and melted cheese. This easy homemade samosa recipe is a crowd-pleasing vegetarian starter you will want to make again and again.
@cooking.with.anadi
Tag your makes with #cookingwithanadi
Comments
No comments yet — be the first to share your thoughts!
Leave a review
Be the first to share how it went — your note helps other cooks (and earns the recipe its stars).