Besan Cheela (Vegetarian Omelette)

If you are facing a dilemma about what to make for your everyday breakfast, quick lunch or snack, then I have an easy and delicious quick fix for you! I have grown up eating this dish and we use to call this Pudla, or Besan Cheela. The color and the texture of this dish is similar to omelette, so it is also known as vegetarian omelette in India. Chickpea flour is gluten free, low GI index and packed with protein. This pancake is slightly thicker than Dosa and does not require any fermentation. The best thing about this recipe is that you can add as many veggies you want, and it is also a great way to feed your kids the vegetables they don’t like to eat! You wont believe but my toddler loves them and he is quite picky when it comes to food!

Honestly, I am total in love with this recipe because its quick, healthy and quite filling. This dish is super versatile, and you can make lots of combinations after making the basic batter.

Here are my favorite combinations that we usually make in the house.

Honestly, this recipe is very forgiving and versatile. It is perfect option for quick healthy breakfast or light meal. This pancake is vegan, low calorie, gluten free, low GI index meal, and protein/fiber packed. What are you waiting for? Go ahead make this for your family!

Serves 4 People

[Calories 128, Fat 2g, Carbs 18g, Fiber 5g, Protein 7g]

Ingredients

For batter-

1 cup of chickpea flour (Besan)

1 cup of water

1-2 green chilies, finely chopped

1 tsp garlic, finely chopped

¼ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp red chili powder

½ tsp carom seeds (ajwain)

½ tsp asafetida

½ tsp black pepper powder

Salt to taste

Finely chopped veggies

½ cup onions

¼ cup bell pepper

¼ cup spinach

¼ cup tomatoes

¼ cup carrots (shredded)

¼ cup cilantro

Method

Batter

In a mixing bowl, add chickpea flour, water, and all the seasonings. You have simple basic batter. Whisk all the ingredients together until uniformed and make sure you don’t have any clumps.  Once you have basic batter, you can make custom pancakes with choice of veggies. I usually add all the veggies together and make them full of veggies. You can add choice of veggies from the list and then mix everything until well combined. The batter should be pouring consistency, so incase if you feel that batter is thicker in consistency after adding the vegetables than just add some water. Add ¼ cup of water at a time. Mix thoroughly and your batter is ready!

Making the Omelette or Cheela or Pancakes

Heat a flat cast iron pan or a non-stick pan. Wipe it with little oil dipped in tissue to season it. When the pan becomes medium hot, pour a ladle full of batter on the pan and gently spread it in circular motion spreading it out thinly. These pancakes should be little thinner than traditional American pancakes and slightly thicker than paper Dosa. Brush the pancake with some oil and flip it over to cook the other side. When pancake is cooked thoroughly from both sides then remove from the pan and serve hot with mint chutney or ketchup along with hot cup of tea.

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