Chickpea Flour Pancakes (Besan Chilla/Cheela) – Traditional Pancakes Taken To The Next Level
- Updated on Feb 20, 2017
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I’d been wanting to try chickpea flour pancakes (sometimes known as besan or garbanzo flour too, or even besan chilla and cheela) and there are nearly as many different ways to make them as there are names!
Actually, I’d heard of so many that I got a little stuck with where to start.
I knew I wanted to keep them pretty traditional (I absolutely love Indian food and these have a lot of history in Northern India) and so I wanted to keep that lovely Indian flavour but I also wanted to give them a modern, western twist so they’d be really quick and use no mysterious ingredients I’d have to travel across Europe for.
After plenty of trial and error, this is what was born. Different to most pancakes that we’ve made in the past, these are decidedly savoury.
Our now world-famous 2 ingredient pancakes can be eaten both sweet or savoury, as can these high protein cottage cheese, but these chickpea pancakes are something else entirely.
With a pleasingly aromatic smell, these pancakes immediately ask to be paired with pickles and chutneys, or a yogurt or cream dip. Hummus and guacamole also go really well.
And so, dear readers, we give you chickpea pancakes.
A high protein, high fibre breakfast, lunch or dinner that tastes like the best of Indian cuisine while being easy to make, and even easier to eat.
Any vegans out there will also be pleased to hear that these are right up their street, as well will gluten or lactose avoiders.
Chickpea Pancakes – What I Learnt
As mentioned, these chickpea (or besan/chillas) pancakes are exceptionally easy to make, and made even better when these simple rules are followed.
- Use a large pan. These pancakes are far superior when they’re thin – easier to flip and the veggies get cooked better too.
- Use a non-stick pan, and use a little tissue to make sure the surface is evenly coated in oil.
- Use whatever veg you have laying around. This dish works on so many levels that virtually any vegetable will work with it, so here’s your chance to use those leftovers!
- Dice the veg finely. The smaller it’s chopped, the better it cooks.
- Eat them hot! In my humble opinion this is imperative, so if you’re cooking multiple pancakes then keep them warm in the oven.
- Once they’re all ready, don’t dawdle 🙂
To ghee or not to ghee, that is the question.
Throughout my experiments with this recipe, I came across a very interesting topic, worthy of our time.
Ghee is often used in Indian cooking, and, as may well be expected, goes very well as the cooking base in this dish (it replaces the oil).
It is made by melting butter and then removing the milk solids. It still has that buttery taste, and has a really high smoke point, so it’s perfect for pancakes.
It’s also high in vitamins A and E, and according to Care2 it can last for a verrrrry long time!
It is not vegan of course, however it does seem to be one of the only dairy products that is lactose-free, or so low in lactose that it won’t cause a reaction to dairy intolerant people anyway.
You should always check with your doctor of course and that doesn’t mean it’s safe for dairy allergic peeps however, so if you are, we highly advise you stay away!
If you’re interested in ghee and would like to try it, it’s easy to find. You can click here or in the recipe below if you’d like to look at the different types available.
So – up to you. Whether you go with ghee or stick with olive oil, you’re in for a treat. Welcome to the next level of pancake!
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup chickpea flour (or besan/garbanzo flour)
- ½ cup water
- ½ tsp turmeric
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ tsp chili flakes (optional)
- 1 spring onions
- 1 tsp olive oil (ghee would be perfect here, but not vegan)
Topping suggestions
- ¼ bell pepper, red
- ¼ cup peas
- 1 tbsp hummus
Instructions
- Add the chickpea flour, water, turmeric, salt, pepper and chili flakes (if using) to a mixing bowl and give it a quick blend using a food processor or blender. Leave it to settle for a few minutes while you heat up the oil or ghee in a non-stick pan. The batter needs to look very runny!
- Finely dice the spring onions and add them to the mixture.
- In a pan heat up the oil, then add the mixture when the pan is hot – medium heat should be just right.
- Cook for about 4 minutes – the mixture will quickly start to firm.
- Make sure you use a large pan here, you’re aiming for thin pancakes. They’re MUCH easier to handle!
- Use a large spatula to help you flip the pancakes. After another 2-3 minutes your pancake will be ready!
- Done! Add your desired toppings and enjoy (eg. peas and bell pepper).
Serving suggestions:
- Any chutneys (red onion is a favourite of ours) yogurt dip, hummus, avocado, guacamole, Branston Pickle (if you can find it where you are it goes incredibly well!).
NOTES
Nutrition
Comments
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126 comments
I have a medical condition where I can’t eat any chilis or hot pepper. What do you suggest as an alternative flavoring.
Thanks.
Hi Gregory, then I’d remove the red chili and simply add half a teaspoon of cumin. It’s traditionally used in many Indian dishes and would definitely fit into this one, too. I’m not sure how curry powder would affect you, but half a teaspoon of that would also be tasty.
I don’t add a thing to the batter except for a little olive oil, the nutty flavour of the chickpeas is delicious enough. I like to add some baby spinach and ricotta as a topping, or if the pancake is soft enough, you can just roll them with this as a filling inside. I’ve seen other versions where people add cottage cheese or avocado and little lemon juice. Also, if you keep the pancake plain you can make a sweet mixture of your choice, for example some lightly cooked raspberries or strawberries, maybe a little cream. Endless variations.
Thanks for all the valuable tips Sue!! Will need to make a different version of this recipe again with all the inspiration you gave us 😀
So the way we make our Cheelas (and we are Indian) is we put a whole bunch of fresh coriander/cilantro and fresh fenugreek in ours. So it’s just salt and cilantro and fenugreek in the batter. No pepper, no chilli powder. No cumin either. Play around with the spices and herbs you like. There’s no fixed way. I also eat it like a wrap with an entire salad inside it (which is not traditional, but hey, I like it that way).
So the reason we started putting fenugreek in ours was because we had to eat protein based breakfasts with no carb-heavy things – so no wheat/rice. And in india we have this think called a “thepla” (which is a fenugreek flatbread) which me and my mum love. And I hated these pancakes. And it was the only thing my mom could think of to feed us. So I told her to add fenugreek to the pancakes as a compromise. It was sooooo good.
Thanks for sharing the info T, both comments were a really good read. And I agree, there’s a lot of experimentation to do here (I still do as well!). This is my current favourite version – https://hurrythefoodup.com/chickpea-pancakes-caramelized-onion-feta/ but this has got me in the mood to try another style now as well. I like the idea of the wrap you mention, will give it a go!
This would make a nice replacement for chappatis made with wheat, as I have given up gluten.
Sounds good to me! We just made chappatis for our new ebook, and they were delicious!
These are good. Great recipe. Added Pea, spring onion and sweetcorn. tried one with cumin seeds but preferred the turmeric flavour without cumin seeds. Pinned to my recipe board now. Thanks for this one.
You’re welcome Al! I’m glad you enjoyed – they’re a personal fave of mine too 🙂
This recipe looks great! I like to make my breakfasts ahead of time on Sunday so I don’t have to cook during the week. I know you say don’t let them get cold but is it ok to make these in advance, put them in the fridge and microwave them when ready to eat? What is the downside to this? Thanks!
Hi Octavia, I’m really glad you found it – it’s one of my faves! Actually, I can’t see why that wouldn’t work to be honest. Cold they’re not very nice, but reheated they should be fine. Please let me know how it goes!
Hi! I too, like to prep as much as possible on a Sunday; would an option be to prep the batter and keep it in the fridge? Would the batter last? Or even if I prepped the batter the night before? Thoughts?
Hi Sami, while I haven’t tried that myself, it actually sounds like a great idea. I’d chop any veg at the last minute, but making the batter the night before should be great. Of course, it should probably be covered and then given a quick stir in the morning but I’d imagine you’d be set to go! I think I need to try it myself, too 🙂
In the French version of this dish, the batter is left to settle at room temperature for 12 – 24 hours, in addition a couple of tablespoons of olive is added. I wouldn’t add the vegetables until just before frying, so you could dice the and leave in an air proof container in the fridge.
HI I have been making socca for awhile now but now want to make a more filling chickpea
Pancake with some greens, veggies, herbs etc. but these pancakes are turning out fairly soft,
Not thin and crispy as I had hoped. Any suggestions?
Hiya Karen, good question! Let’s see if we can help you get them nice and crispy. First – could it be that too many veggies are making them too watery (and therefore cooking soft)? Or are you using frozen veg at all perhaps? Otherwise, maybe a little more oil, and a slightly higher heat spring to mind. A good, big pan is definitely the way forward too! I’ll keep thinking about it too 🙂
Thanks. I agree maybe too much spinach and cilantro. Should just stick with smaller diced veggies. Will try with the cast iron pan in the oven on high heat next time. Would like to get a flavored pancake rather than just socca bread with toppings, do you know what I mean. Appreciate your reply!
Haha yes, certainly! I’d be very interested to hear how they turn out now. Improving/changing recipes is always very important to us, and feedback really helps us! I eat these often too, so I’m glad other people are enjoying them 🙂
I love this recipe and have just discovered this flour (called Gram flour in my local UK Asian store). I use rice bran oil, vegan, healthy and high temperature cooking. It is also brilliant for roasting potatoes and other vegetables and making onion bhajis!
Yes, it has various names I noticed. Ah never heard of rice bran oil! Will keep an eye out for it. Thanks Kate 😀
These are great! I did them as sweet. For the batter; a tsp of tumeric, tbsp of cinnamon and sugar. And caramel sauce to top them off. Thanks!
What a great combo! Thanks for sharing Tangina! 🙂
Really glad to hear you like the recipe so much too Kate! I just saw this comment and went to make some, then I realised I’m out of chickpea flour. Will pick up more now. Good to know the UK name too, it’ll be easier to find it when I’m next back 🙂
Rice bran oil is one of the “Hateful Eight” industrial seed oils, which are toxic, not healthy. Use coconut oil, avocado oil, butter, peanut oil, Or even olive oil, though it’s not the best oil for frying
These are my new “go-to” for a quick dinner. Full disclosure, I don’t get all fancy with them. Last night I just spiced the batter with salt, pepper, and sage, and put a little butter on them when I ate them. Best ever was when I had some leftover spiralized butternut squash and tossed that in. So, don’t get hung up on tradition. Once you realize that 1/3 cup of garbo flour mixed with 1/3C water magically turns into dinner while you’re busy feeding the tortoise, you can spread your wings and fly wherever the cupboard takes you. 🙂
Haha that’s great Wendy. Yep, experimentation is certainly the way forward. The squash idea is awesome, thanks for sharing!
One of my favorite recipes! I would like to incorporate more vegetarian dishes into my diet and I love this one. Chickpea (or besan) flour is abundant in my culture so this was a perfect fit! It was healthy, quick, and high in protein (so my meat-loving fiancé can’t complain that there’s no protein). I usually make a spicy curry sauce to pair with it like Vindaloo or tikka masala. I’ve made this many times now and always go with the red bell peppers and green onions. The runnier and thinner the pancake the better! Because they get nice and crispy :)Never disappointed! Thank you
Thanks a lot for the tip regarding the”liquidity”! Yes, it’s absolutely important 🙂
Can you make the dough ahead of time and cook later?
yes, it’s not really a dough though, it’s very liquidy!
So easy and tasty. I’m not vegan, just cant eat eggs and really miss them. I had these pancakes with feta cheese, tomatoes, spring onions and yello pepper. Delicious and satisfying. Will be a regular from now on! Thanks, Dave
Happy to help! Love to hear from successful vegan substitutions, thank you for writing!
Oooo. That sounds scrumptious! I’d not have thought of that combo, so thanks for the inspiration!