Besan Cheela (Chickpea Pancakes)
Spiced with cumin and fresh turmeric, these crisp-edged Indian pancakes are perfect for savory breakfast lovers.
- Serves
4–6
- Time
30 minutes
A popular breakfast in Gujarat, besan cheela are savory chickpea-flour pancakes. This rendition from Indian-born British chef Romy Gill is spiced with cumin in two ways (ground and in seed form), enriched with coconut milk, and tinted an inviting golden hue by fresh turmeric. When making this besan cheela recipe, Gill recommends using a reliably nonstick pan or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet. Gill prefers her cheela on the thicker side, but if you like yours thinner, add a little more water to the batter, one tablespoon at a time, to make it runnier. If you can’t find Indian green chiles, serrano or Thai chiles are an appropriate substitute.
Featured in “We Should All Be Cooking with Fresh Turmeric.”
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups (150 g) fine chickpea flour (gram flour)
- ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. cumin seeds
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 small Indian green chile, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 small white onion, finely chopped
- One 1½-in. piece fresh turmeric, peeled and finely grated
- ⅓ cup coconut milk
- Vegetable oil
- Chutney and pickles, for serving
Instructions
Step 1
Step 2
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