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Cooking With Anadi
12K subscribers · spiced chickpea flour pancakes, crispy and protein-packed
About This Gram Flour Pancake Recipe
This besan chilla is a savory 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!
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!
What is besan?▼
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 flavor. For best results, I recommend you find besan/gram flour on Amazon or from your local South Asian grocer.
What is Chilla?▼
Chilla simply refers to an Indian crepes, and they can be savory or sweet. There are many different flours or grains that can be used for the chilla batter. Here are some examples:
- Sooji chilla: Made with semolina/rava.
- Moong dal chilla: Made with green moong dal.
- Oats chilla: Made with oat flour (you can simply blend rolled oats!)
- Rice chilla: Made with rice flour.
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 Make This Chickpea Chilla?
Why wouldn’t you want to make these! This is a perfect breakfast or brunch (or even dinner!) for so many reasons:
- Simple and quick to make
- Low in calories and filling
- Can be vegan
- Gluten-free
- Lightly spiced
- Filled with veggies
- Crispy and delicious!
Is Besan Ka Papada Healthy?▼
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 chilies 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:
- Tomatoes
- Pumpkin
- Zucchini
- Eggplant
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Potato
So if you’re looking for a veggie-packed recipe, then you can mix and match your favorite veggies and add as many as your heart desires!
Furthermore, the besan itself is loaded with health benefits. Here are some examples:
- Protein-packed: One cup of besan contains 20 grams of protein.
- Loaded with fiber: There are 10 grams of fiber per cup.
- Contains essential minerals: These include thiamine, folate, iron, phosphorous, magnesium, copper and manganese.
Folate is the most prominent mineral in besan, with over one hundred percent of the daily recommended value (RDI). The high protein and fiber 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.
Can I make This Besan Pancake ahead of time?▼
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.
How to Make This Vegan?
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.
How thick should my batter be?▼
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.
How to Prevent the pancakes from sticking?▼
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.
Additional Tips to Make Amazing Chickpea Pancakes
- The best part of this batter is its super versatile. You can use all kinds of vegetables, (except root vegetables) and make this extremely healthy.
- By adding some additional besan to thicken the consistency, you can use it to make my pakoras, I have so many recipes!
- Use a thin, low-profile spatula to handle the pancake in the pan. I would highly recommend a good quality fish spatula due to its sleek low-profile.
- The consistency of the batter is important to create a thin crispy texture. Ensure that the batter is thin but not watery thin. I always recommend making a tester and make mistakes before going forward.
- I recommend you serve these immediately for the ultimate crispiness and deliciousness!
Tools Needed
Ingredients for Besan Ka Papda
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 the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD to save this post for later!
- Gram flour or Besan
- Water
- Red chili powder, or Kashmiri Mirch
- Red onion, chopped
- Ginger, grated
- Green chilies
- Salt
- Turmeric
- Ghee: Store-bought or homemade!
How to Make Chickpea Flour Pancakes Indian-Style
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.
Serving Suggestions
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 chili pickle, and you can serve with your favorite pickle! You can also serve with ketchup, your favorite 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!
Getting the Besan Chilla Batter Right
One cup besan is all this recipe starts with, and everything else goes into the dry bowl alongside it before a drop of liquid: 1 tbsp of grated ginger, one small onion, 2 to 3 green chilies, 1/2 tsp of Kashmiri red chili powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric and 1/2 to 1 tsp of salt. Mixing the dry ingredients and aromatics together first, then whisking the water in gradually, is what keeps you from chasing lumps later on.
You will notice the recipe never gives you an exact cup water measurement, and that is deliberate. Besan absorbs differently depending on how finely it is milled and how long it has been sitting in the cupboard, so the water goes in as needed and the texture tells you when to stop. You are after a runny batter that coats the back of a spoon without being as thick as brownie batter, and nowhere near thin and watery.
Cooking Savory Indian Pancakes So They Actually Crisp
These savory Indian pancakes want medium heat, not low heat. A properly hot pan sets an instant crust between the batter and the surface, which is what stops them sticking in the first place. On low heat the batter sits and steams instead, and you lose the crisp edge that makes the dish worth making. Sprinkle or drizzle a little oil over the top once the batter is down, then wait for the edges to turn golden and start pulling away from the pan, about 2-3 minutes, before you flip. The second side needs only 1-2 minutes.
Lifting and swirling the pan is the easiest way to spread half a ladle of batter, roughly 1/2 cup, into a thin and even round. If your pan is heavy and awkward to tilt, spread it with the back of the ladle instead, working outward in a spiral from the middle. Either way, keep it thin. A thick chilla stays soft in the center and never crisps at the edge.
Add-Ins, Swaps and Keeping the Batter
Besan is a whole grain flour in the truest sense, milled from whole dried chickpeas rather than a refined starch, which is where its fiber and its nutty flavor come from. That also makes it a forgiving base to play with. A pinch of ajwain, also known as carom seeds, is the most traditional addition; cumin seeds or a little ground coriander both work if you want more warmth. A small tomato, finely diced, adds moisture and tang. And lentil versions like moong dal chilla are built the same way, with soaked and ground lentils standing in for some of the besan.
The batter keeps well in the fridge. Because there are no eggs or milk in it, refrigeration buys you three or four days before it starts to split. Give it a good stir and loosen it with a splash of water before you cook. The pancakes themselves are best eaten straight off the pan, served hot with a pickle or hot sauce as the recipe suggests, or with a spoonful of plain yogurt alongside to take the edge off the green chilies.
Other Warm Breakfast Recipes!
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.
Stovetop
Rate this recipe ✦
10 min
Prep
10 min
Cook
20 min
Total
7
pancakes
easy
Level
Ingredients
Ingredients
Tap any quantity to scale
Instructions
- 1
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.
- 2
Heat a pan on medium heat and add 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 and add 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.
- 3
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.
- 4
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.
- 5
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. Enjoy!
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. Enjoy!
Nutrition per pancake
198
Calories
2g
Protein
15g
Carbs
14g
Fat
1g
Fiber
1g
Sugar
169mg
Sodium
Did you make this recipe? Tag @cooking.with.anadi on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingwithanadi
Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen
Recipe history
- April 16, 2026 — Reworked and refreshed for the 2026 relaunch — new photography, restructured and standardized ingredients & instructions.
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