Besan Chilla

Yum!! Super tasty and comes together easily, yet at the same time fancy enough to serve to friends at a brunch. I made a yogurt-chili sauce to go with it and topped it with mango chutney. Awesome combo of flavours 🤩

These were so good. I tried making chickpea flower pancakes numerous times but it never worked out. This recipe was a joy to make. The batter was so glossy and smooth and if you prepare them like in the recipe they won't stick or break when flipping. I always thought it was my pan because I don't have a non-stick pan. Turns out I didn't have the right recipe. There is also zero weird taste or texture like it can sometimes happen with chickpea flower

PUL Team - Jan. 17, 2025, 7:47 p.m.

We're so happy to hear they turned out perfectly for you, Sarah! Thanks for sharing your experience 💛

This came out great. I added some semolina too for less dry texture.
Also, Besan/chickpea flour is a little tough on our gut and can make a lot of us gassy. Adding some carom seed in batter eases with digestion.

I found my perfect breakfast! Great recipe, easy and quick to make. I used Spicy Mint Chutney on top 😊

Perfect for breakfast! Easy to make, simple ingredients yet so delicious! I added mushrooms and feta. Wish I had some vegan pesto to add on top

My friends and I loved these! They are easy to make and turned out flavourful and beautifully looking!
I like my food well-spiced and added cumin, sweet paprika, chilli flakes and black pepper to the batter, which was exactly to my liking.
Paired it with store-bought onion confit which was a superb combination!

Will definitely be making these again!

PUL Team - Dec. 18, 2024, 4:02 p.m.

Woop woop! So thrilled that the recipe was enjoyed, Binnur, thanks for sharing your modification ideas and pairing combo 🤤

We didn't have cilantro. So I put in some peppers. And in later ones, I added incumin powder and oregano. It was a nice quick weeknight supper. 🥞

I’ve been trying to make more savory breakfasts, and this was perfect! I ate it with some korean inspired salsa I had from the store, but I will definitely make one of the chutneys next time!

PUL Team - Nov. 4, 2024, 3:01 p.m.

Yayy so glad that you enjoyed it, Alexis!

Is it optional to swap the chickpea flour for all purpose flour? My grocerie store doesn’t have chickpea flour I think.

PUL Team - Oct. 26, 2024, 7:31 p.m.

Hey Dilys, we wouldn’t recommend swapping the chickpea flour for all-purpose flour, since it changes both the texture and flavor quite a bit. Chickpea flour (also known as "besan") brings a nice nutty taste and is gluten-free, which is a key part of what makes this recipe work. You might find it in the international aisle or a larger grocery store or at a local international grocery store! 🙂

Dilys - Oct. 28, 2024, 11:58 p.m.

Thank you!

Wasn’t the biggest fan of the pancakes - the first two were very oily and they taste quite bland. But I made the mint chutney too and as the carrier for the chutney, it all tasted amazing combined.

New favorite go-to!

I made these with the three chutneys for tea this evening and oh my gosh, they are amazing! The crispiness of the pancake with the soft veggies is so moreish and I'll be making some more tomorrow! Take the time to make the chutneys too, they work perfectly with these!

PUL Team - Sept. 28, 2024, 5:35 p.m.

Gosh we're so happy to hear that the recipe was enjoyed with the chutneys, Rob! It means so much 🤗

I love besan chilla! My only problem is that it’s not very high in protein, my chickpea flour says it only 3g/ per 1/3 cup. Maybe my chickpea flour is different than yours.

PUL Team - Sept. 25, 2024, 5:40 p.m.

Hey Madison! The chickpea flours that we've seen offer 20-22 grams of protein per cup, which aligns with reliable sources such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) database, but it can indeed vary from brand to brand! As a heads up, the nutrition information for this recipe is for three pancakes since this amount is more representative of a meal 😊

In case you're interested in increasing the protein content otherwise, you could experiment with adding some nutritional yeast, or perhaps some seeds to the batter. We also enjoy this recipe with yogurt dip which can offer some protein depending on the type used!

Madison Jones - Oct. 5, 2024, 4:35 p.m.

Thanks!

Thank you for featuring a dish from my part of the world! ❤️

Hi!
I think you mean "except" instead of "expect" in step 2 😉.

PUL Team - Sept. 23, 2024, 9:53 p.m.

Hey Isabella! Thanks for catching this. We've updated the recipe 🤗

Isabella S. - Sept. 24, 2024, 9 a.m.

Your are welcome! 😊