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1. Finely dice the red onion and tomato (remove seeds from tomato to avoid excess moisture). Finely chop the green chili and fresh coriander. Grate or mince the fresh ginger.
1 piece Red onion,
1 piece Tomato,
1 piece Green chili,
1 tsp Fresh ginger,
3 tbsp Fresh coriander (cilantro)
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2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the besan, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin seeds, carom seeds, and salt. Gradually pour in the water while whisking continuously until you have a smooth, lump-free batter with the consistency of thin crepe batter — it should coat the back of a spoon lightly but flow easily.
1 cup Besan (gram flour),
0.8 cup Water,
0.2 tsp Turmeric powder,
0.5 tsp Cumin seeds,
0.2 tsp Red chili powder,
0.5 tsp Salt,
0.2 tsp Carom seeds (ajwain)
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3. Fold the diced onion, tomato, green chili, ginger, and fresh coriander into the batter. Stir to combine evenly. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes — this allows the besan to fully hydrate and the flavors to meld.
1 piece Red onion,
1 piece Tomato,
1 piece Green chili,
1 tsp Fresh ginger,
3 tbsp Fresh coriander (cilantro)
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4. Heat a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add a small drizzle of oil or ghee and spread it around the pan with a spatula or brush. When the pan is hot and the oil shimmers, pour in half the batter and quickly spread it into a thin circle about 18–20 cm (7–8 inches) in diameter using the back of a ladle.
1 tbsp Neutral oil or ghee
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5. Cook on medium-high heat for 2–3 minutes until the edges look set and the underside is golden brown and crisp. Drizzle a little oil around the edges, then flip and cook the other side for 1–2 minutes until golden and cooked through with no raw batter visible. Remove from heat.
0.5 tbsp Neutral oil or ghee
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6. Repeat with the remaining batter to make the second chilla, adding more oil to the pan as needed. Serve hot immediately — chilla crisps up best straight off the pan. Enjoy on its own or alongside mint chutney or plain yogurt.
0.5 tbsp Neutral oil or ghee
By james
