Chickpea pancakes

Why this works

Besan chilla is one of those recipes almost every Indian kitchen already knows, which is exactly why it is worth pointing at. You do not need to learn a new cuisine to eat more protein at breakfast. You need to make the thing you already make slightly more often, and stop treating it as a snack.

Why besan and not wheat

Chickpea flour is roughly 22 per cent protein by weight. Refined wheat flour is around 10 per cent, and most of what it carries is starch. Swap one for the other and the same sized pancake goes from a mostly carbohydrate breakfast to one carrying a real protein load, without changing the method at all.

Besan also brings fibre, close to 11 g per 100 g, which is why a chilla sits so differently from a slice of toast. That fibre slows the starch alongside it, so the rise in blood sugar is flatter and slower.

It is gluten free without trying

Chickpea flour contains no gluten. For a household managing coeliac disease or a diagnosed sensitivity, this is one of the few breakfasts that needs no substitution and no separate cooking. Do check that your besan has not been milled alongside wheat if the sensitivity is medical rather than a preference.

Getting the batter right

Everything that goes wrong with a chilla goes wrong in the batter. Add the water slowly and whisk as you go, because besan lumps easily and a lumpy batter cooks unevenly. You want it to pour in a slow ribbon rather than a stream. Too thin and it tears when you spread it and again when you turn it.

Rest it for ten minutes if you have them. The flour hydrates, the batter tightens slightly, and the pancake holds together far better on the pan.

What the vegetables are for

Half a cup sounds like a garnish and is not. The vegetables add volume, water and fibre, which means a more filling pancake for the same amount of flour. They also add the micronutrients besan alone does not carry.

Use whatever is in the fridge, as long as it cooks fast and does not release much water. Onion, capsicum, cabbage, grated carrot, spinach and coriander all work. Tomato in the batter is the common mistake, because the water it releases makes the chilla fragile.

What to eat it with

A coriander and mint chutney, and a bowl of curd if you eat dairy, which pushes the protein higher again. Skip the sweet chutney, which puts back exactly the kind of quick sugar the besan was helping you avoid.

Frequently asked questions

How much protein is in a besan chilla?

This recipe gives around 11 g of protein a serving of two pancakes. Chickpea flour is roughly 22 per cent protein by weight, which is more than double refined wheat flour for the same quantity.

Why do my chillas break when I turn them?

Almost always a batter that is too thin, or turning too early. The batter should fall off the ladle in a slow ribbon, and you should wait until the surface loses its wet shine and the edges lift on their own, about two minutes.

Can I store the batter?

Two days in the fridge in a covered box. It thickens as it sits, so loosen it with a spoon of water before you cook. Do not let it ferment, since this is not a dosa batter.

Is besan chilla good for weight loss?

It works well as part of one, because the protein and fibre keep you full on relatively few calories. What matters more than the recipe is how much oil goes into the pan and what you eat alongside it.

Which vegetables should I avoid in the batter?

Anything that releases a lot of water, tomato in particular. Grated bottle gourd works if you squeeze it first. Otherwise stick to onion, capsicum, cabbage, carrot, spinach and coriander.

This recipe is general nutrition education, not a prescription. Portions and ingredients may need adjusting for kidney disease, allergies or a condition you are being treated for. Reviewed by Jinal Vora.