Besan chilla with tofu and spinach (chickpea flour pancakes)
28 min · 29 g protein · 402 cals / serving
India's everyday savory pancake: a thin chickpea flour batter with onion, green chili, ginger and coriander, cooked golden like an omelette, then folded around a stuffing of crumbled, spiced tofu, spinach and tomato. A cool cucumber and mint raita made with soy yogurt goes on the side.
Ingredients
Chillas
- 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp chickpea flour, besan
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp salt, divided
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1 green chili pepper, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ginger, grated
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Tofu stuffing
- 10 1/2 oz prepared extra firm tofu, patted dry and finely crumbled
- 2 large handfuls baby spinach, finely chopped
- 1 small tomato, seeded and finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin, or chaat masala
- 1 tsp canola oil
Cucumber raita
- scant 1/2 cup unsweetened soy yogurt, plain, unsweetened
- 1/3 large cucumber, grated
- 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Steps
- Whisk the chickpea flour, turmeric and half the salt in a bowl, then whisk in the water a little at a time until the batter is smooth and pours like thin crepe batter. Stir in the onion, green chili, ginger and cilantro.
- In a second bowl, mix the crumbled tofu, spinach, tomato, cumin and the rest of the salt. This is the stuffing; it goes in raw and warms inside the chilla.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and brush it with a little of the oil (two pans halve the time). Pour in a quarter of the batter and spread it quickly with the back of the ladle into a thin round about 7 inch across. Cook 2–3 minutes, until the underside is golden and the top looks dry, then flip and cook 1 minute. Spoon a quarter of the stuffing over one half, fold the other half over and press gently for 30 seconds. Repeat to make four.
- While the chillas cook, stir the soy yogurt with the cucumber, mint, lemon juice and a pinch of salt, and serve the raita beside the hot chillas.
Good to know
My chilla breaks when I flip it
The pan is not hot enough yet or the batter is too thick. Let the first side cook until the edges lift on their own, and spread the batter thinner; a thin chilla holds together better than a thick one.
Can I make the batter ahead?
Mix the flour, spices and water the night before and keep it in the fridge; stir in the onion, chili and herbs in the morning, and mix the stuffing fresh so it does not go watery.
Per
- Calories
- 83
- Protein
- (30%)
- 6 g
- Fat
- (34%)
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- (37%)
- 9 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 139 mg
More breakfast
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 805 kcal goes into the pot and 1031 g of ingredients comes out as about 970 g of food: 83 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.