Besan ki Childa

Channa Dal powdered to become Besan(Chickpea flour)

Besan ki Childa (Chickpea flour pancakes) is one recipe that relieves me from my everyday thinking “What to cook?”. This dish is healthy as besan is nothing but Chickpea flour or Gram flour as it is called in India. It is mixed with vegetables of your choice & spices and poured like dosa or pancakes onto hot iron pan. So, you see there is no guilt in relishing this simple yet heavenly dish a little more. I call it “The Vegetarian Omelet”

My husband & I love this dish and we can eat anytime of the day be it for breakfast, lunch or dinner; of course served hot, although I do not mind eating it at room temperature. One cannot go wrong with this recipe. Besan being one of the basic ingredients in our kitchen, this is such a handy dish to prepare. Because of the vegetables and spices, you do not need a chutney to be served alongside but a coriander/cilantro chutney would only do more good.

Recipe: (Makes about 10 -12)
1 & 1/2 cups besan
1 carrot shredded
1/2 bell pepper - green finely chopped
1 medium size onion finely chopped
1/2 cup thawed corn, mashed a little
1/2 cup thawed peas (optional)
Few sprigs of cilantro finely chopped
1 tsp red chili powder
Salt to taste
Oil
1 green chili finely chopped (optional)

Mix all the vegetables and cilantro with besan. Add some water and bring it to the consistency of a dosa or pancake batter. Add the chili powder, salt. Heat a non-stick pan or a cast iron pan, add a tsp oil and spread all over. On a medium flame, pour the batter and spread it into round shape just like the dosa or pancake. Drizzle a tsp oil around the batter.

Childa batter cooking on a cast iron pan

Allow it cook for a couple of minutes until golden brown then flip to cook on the other side. Serve hot with or without chutney; either way it tastes YUM-O!

Besan ki Childa - The Vegetarian Omelet