Besan Chilla (Chickpea Flour Pancakes)
Thin, savory Indian chickpea flour pancakes folded with spinach, onion, and cilantro, seasoned with cumin and turmeric, then cooked until tender and lightly golden on both sides.
Prep: 15 min · Cook: 20 min · Yield: 4 · Method: Stovetop
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) chickpea flour
- 1.75 cups (420 ml) water
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) ground cumin
- 0.5 teaspoon (1 g) ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) fine salt
- 2 packed cups (60 g) baby spinach
- 1 small (about 115 g) yellow onion
- 0.5 cup (15 g) fresh cilantro
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) neutral cooking oil
Cooking instructions
- Whisk the chickpea flour, water, cumin, turmeric, and salt in a large bowl until smooth and pourable. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes while you finely chop the spinach, onion, and cilantro. (about 10 min)
- Fold the chopped spinach, onion, and cilantro into the rested batter. If it has thickened too much to spread easily, whisk in 1 to 2 tablespoons water. (about 2 min)
- Heat a nonstick skillet or seasoned griddle over medium heat. Brush with about 1 teaspoon oil. Pour in 1/2 cup batter and quickly spread it into a thin 6-inch pancake using the back of a spoon. (about 1 min) — Medium heat
- Cook until the surface looks mostly set, the edges are dry, and the underside is golden in spots, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drizzle or brush the top with a little oil, flip, and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding oil as needed. (about 20 min) — Medium heat
- Serve hot. Each chilla should be fully set in the center with no wet batter remaining; for a food-safety check, the center should reach at least 160°F (71°C). (about 1 min)