Chickpea flour omelette (besan chilla)
A savory, golden pancake of chickpea flour, onion, tomato and spices that cooks like an omelette with no eggs at all, a breakfast favorite across India.
- 20 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 2
- About $0.90 a serving
- 320 calories
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Read the steps once before you start. Everything goes smoother after that.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- ¼ red onion, finely chopped
- 1 Roma tomato, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
- ½ jalapeño, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 cup chickpea flour
From your pantry
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
Each serving has about 320 calories, 11 g protein, 31 g carbs and 17 g fat, and costs about $0.90 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No red onions? White onions or yellow onions work.
- No cilantro? Fresh parsley works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the onion, tomato and cilantro, and the jalapeño if you’re using it.
Finely chop. Finely chopping means cutting food into small pieces, a little bigger than minced, about the size of a lentil. Small pieces spread their flavor through the dish and cook quickly.
How you’ll know: Nothing is bigger than a lentil, and the pile looks like confetti rather than paste.
the chickpea flour, salt, turmeric and cumin in a bowl, then slowly whisk in the water until smooth and pourable, like thin pancake batter.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Dolly’s tip: Chickpea flour clumps easily. Add the water a splash at a time at first.in the vegetables and let the batter sit 5 minutes.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Timer: 5 min
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch nonstick over medium heat. Pour in half the batter and quickly spread it into a thin circle with the back of a spoon.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Medium heat
Cook 3 to 4 minutes, until the top looks dry and the bottom is and lifts easily.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Medium heatTimer: 3 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: Don’t rush the flip. When it’s ready, a spatula slides under the edge with no sticking.Flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, until on the second side and cooked through.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Medium heatTimer: 2 min 30 sec
Slide onto a plate and repeat with the rest of the oil and batter. Eat hot, in half.
Fold. Folding means mixing gently by scooping from the bottom and turning it over the top, instead of stirring hard. It keeps light mixtures airy and soft things like berries or herbs in one piece.
How you’ll know: You use slow, wide strokes and stop as soon as there are no streaks left.
Medium heat
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop plans your breakfasts along with the week’s dinners, puts what you need on the same grocery list, and walks you through each step.
