Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Besan ka Cheela/ Savory Gram Flour Pancake



Thanks a ton to all my blogger friends who welcomed me back in my last post but am still at home with parents and family. Though it’s been long that am here but am not complaining, and I guess no one in my position would have complained too. After taking care of an over active baby and a maddening schedule this stay at Baper bari (father house) is like a breath of fresh air to me. Here I can wake up late and once I decide to leave the bed I can again laze around with my morning Cuppa, can eat great food cooked by Maa, can spend time with friends and I can do all these without ever worrying about the baby as I know he is in good care of his Didan (grandmother). Works are there and sometimes it include lot of travel but coming back to family and steaming hot comfort food always refresh my tired soul. And the cherry on the cake is Hubby is also away on another abroad trip so this elongated stay comes without any guilt pang….Do I need more reasons to be on the ninth cloud? Am going to enjoy this stint some more as one important work of mine is still pending. Though everyday am eating great food but Cooking has taken a back seat and am only entering the kitchen to cook on some special request from younger brother. Today after a couple of failure attempts finally I had successfully baked my first yeast bread and watching the dough inflate I literally jumped like a little kid. Yesterday I made these besan ka cheela or savory pancakes made with gram flour for breakfast. This is a very common breakfast item at our household and parents liked it very much as well.

Gram flour or chickpea flour contains more protein compared to other flours and is gluten free. This is also known for its anti-diabetic properties. It is an ancient item in beauty treatment mostly used as an alternative to soap to cleanse face and body. Cheela or chila is a soft pancake very common in northern part of India. Apart from Besan, cheelas are also made with yellow lentils. These are very light and could be made in a jiffy. Being the vegetable lover I am I always add very finely shredded veggies and fry them in non stick pans. Here is the recipe.

Besan Cheela
(makes 5)

Ingredients:
Gram Flour (besan): 1 cup (while editing the HTML this got deleted, sorry for the inconvenience)
Shredded carrots: 2 tbsp
Shredded beans: 1 tbsp
Chopped tomato: 2 tbsp
Chopped onion: 2 tbsp
Chopped green chillies: 2 no.s
Carom seeds (ajwain): ½ tsp
pinch of bi-carb of soda
Water
Salt
oil to fry

Method:
Except water put everything in a big bowl.

Add water to make a thin batter like pancake (approximately 11/4 cup). Check the seasoning.

Heat a non stick pan and grease with few drops of oil.

Pour a ladleful of the batter and swirl the pan to coat the bottom of the pan. Cover and cook on low for 30 second or till the sides of the pancake leave the sides.

Pour few more drops of oil at the sides and cook on both sides till lightly golden brown.

Serve hot with ketchup or any chutney of your preference.

Serving ideas:
I sometimes enjoy it with leftover coconut chatni and that tastes heavenly.

savory tomato chutney (recipe coming soon) tastes heavenly with this.

Besan cheelaTastes great with some gravy dish too.

Here is another version of cheela made by Sandeepa

Sending this to Priya's Pancake event. 

52 comments:

  1. There is no place like maternal home to be pampered and fussed over.The besan pancakes look delicious.Enjoy your vacation to the fullest.

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  2. Hope u had a great time at mom's place..Glad to see u back dear Sayantani...Cheela looks fabulous, do send to my pancakes event dear..I'll be happy to get ur entry..

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  3. hmm..bujhtei parchhi darun njoy korchhish...satti re biyer pore ma-babar kachhe thakar akta aladai anondo achhe..tao jokhon nijer bachha ke chhokh bujhe karur opor chhere diye nije ektu aka ghora pherea kora jae...khub anondo kor re...

    ei recipe ta khub bhalo laglo...amar meye nishchoi khabe...ami kono recipe dekhlei age dekhi meyer khabar moto kina...akhon nijer kahabr kotha bhulei gachhi..:(

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  4. That sounds like it can done without fermenting which means at short notice and thats a winner to me. Thanks for sharing

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  5. Great recipe!! It looks healthy and delicious..I would love to try this.. How much besan did you use?

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  6. shon besan ta bodhhoe miss kore gachhish ingredients theke...

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  7. Nothing like ma ke haath se bana khaana... These gram flour pancakes are new to us.. but cant imagine the taste...yum yum

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  8. Dear Sayantani
    Amar sosur Badi-r deshe...baper baDi giye khub maja korchho na?
    Punjabi famous dish baniye sabai ke khaochho?
    Really it is long time since I made PuDa...ami santiniketan aschhi..India phir-e ...tar par bangalore kothao dekha hoe jabe for sure ...bhalo theko.
    ushnishda
    Milano

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  9. Hi Sayantani - enjoy your break! Lucky you! I'm sure your son is even more thrilled with the constant attentiona nd fussing all around him =). Not sure if its just me, but do you have an approximate quantity of besan flour that you used? And also, do you toast the flour before you used it? Thx!

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  10. Can sense ur enjoyment and joy thro' ur write-up. There is no place like 'ma ka ghar' and enjoy the pampering. These are precious moments of ur life, enjoy. Loved the dish,full of goodness.

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  11. Enjoy ,have a good time with your loved ones,...i know how nice you must be feeling staying with them ...and besan cheela looks delicious,ideal for breakfast anyday

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  12. love cheelas any day :0 and it's a great recipe to experiment on ..
    enjoyed reading ur excitemnet filled post...
    Keep up the same spirit
    TC

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  13. now you are making me jealous, Sayantani..baper bapirte khub maja korcho..tomar ingredients e besan missing..khub sunechi etar katha..ebar banate have ekdin..different breakfast item from usual..enjoy karo khub...

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  14. No Place like Mom's home ! Everything goes the way you want :)

    We call this Cheela - Tomato Omlete , never added carrots and beans , will try next time.

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  15. ohh so sorry. while editing the HTML the main ingredient Besan got missing. have updates the post. sorry for the Inconvenince. Thanks for pointing this out.

    @Ann. no I dont dry roast the besan, just used the normal store bought quality.

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  16. enjoy ur stay in ur mom's place.this dish is new to me.heard of this and never know how to make.sounds intersting.nice variation from the usual dosa we make

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  17. O baba eki, tomar cheela ta dekhe khete icche korche.

    Enjoy your baper badir stay and once you're back in Bangalore, I'll be there to get the taste from your kitchen.
    raji to...bhebe bolo:)

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  18. Ami jokhon shokale dekhechilam tomar post e tokhon besan missing chilo...
    Anyway amrao besan er cheela praye banai. Cheela looks delicious.
    Shotti baba r bari te giye je ki mauja.....Ami toh amar chele ke oder kache rekhe shopping e jai, bondu der bari te jai....Because at the back of my mind I know he is in safe hands:-)
    Khoob enjoy koro....
    Deepa

    Hamaree Rasoi

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  19. Hi Thanks for the comment...you have a wonderful blog with so many nice recipes...will keep in touch. Have fun at your parent's place...take care :)

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  20. Wooow,,dear cheela looks delicious. Hope u enjoying ur days wiht ur baby n ur parents...am also waiting to go India to visit my parents...

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  21. Great recipe Sayantani..what a perfect breakfast..yumm

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  22. Hope I could go to my Mom`s place soon and I happy that you are having a nice time.
    The pancake seems to be an easy breakfast. I prefer breakfast that is not sweet and would definitely give this a try.

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  23. I love dosas/uthapams. Nice one Saya. Hope you are getting pampered at home!

    Saw your comment at deepas..I envy you now, I get to go home once a year!

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  24. Pancake looks so tempting with those chutney .I feel hungry after seeing those pictures .I am also leaving for my mother's place for a week, so will take a break from blogging.What u say is right.We can come back refreshed and energetic after staying in our mom's place .

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  25. love your besan ka cheela, Sayantani! i know the excitment of your first bread baking :) Have fun at your parents place!

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  26. ki shundor dekhte lachey! like a lace. I always make mung dal cheela, besan diye kono korini.

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  27. Enjoy ur stay and get pampered! The cheela looks yum, never made with besan!

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  28. Hey Sayantani ,Good to see You back..after a refreshing break...I can relate to this post..I do the same when I visit my parents in MUmbai.. The kids are pampered by them..and I myself become a kid..just lazing around and enjoying the goodness.. LOve this besan ka Cheela. I make it too..But I like ur healthier version of adding grated carrots and beans. Awesome and tempting clicks.

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  29. Enjoy your stay with your mom!

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  30. Hi there...thanks for dropping by my blog and posting those lovely comments:)
    You have a nice space here as well...shall keep dropping in

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  31. Sayantani,
    tumaar eto shondor rokomari ranna, ama ke mogdho kore feleche ..enjoy your stay at your parents place.
    hugs and smiles

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  32. wow, these looks so savory. yummy clicks..

    its seems you had a great time at your mum's place..bask in it dear now..

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  33. Lovely... and beautiful clicks....
    I will b exploring ur blog next.. and chk for all the lovely bengali recipes..
    thanks for dropping by!!
    will b following u...

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  34. Hi
    First time here , loved the yummy recipes n the lovely pics . The chillas look truly mouthwatering ...

    Smita
    @Little Food Junction

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  35. mouthwatering chillas..my all time fav

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  36. Besan ka cheela sounds very fulfilling.

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  37. so you are having a great time at baper bari....khoob anondo..
    the besan cheela is a fave at our place too n we call it besan poora or pooda.

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  38. hey these looks so good..love the clicks..makes me hungry now..

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  39. Hey Sayantani,
    We have some awards waiting for you at our blog. Please do stop by to collect them...

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  40. Sayantani,
    Wish you and your family Shobho Nababorsho
    hugs and smiles

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  41. shubho nababarsha, Sayantani to u and ur family..send ur entries for my summer food & drinks event to riappyayan@gmail.com..pl. note

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  42. This is my favorite too.Perfect for the event!

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  43. enjoy the relaxing days :) shubho naba borsho to you and your family!

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  44. Simple and lovely dish.. going to try.. do drop in at my site whenever.. following you

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  45. Shubho Naboborsher shubhechcha Sayantani. Mayer bari te khub maja koro, onader o amar pronam janiyo.

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  46. Oh I can see me in you when I am at my mom's place.I do the same thing within having to bother about anything .. Nothing can beat this pleasure.

    Pancake looks superb .. I wonder how got it crispy ..

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  47. lovely click.....Mouth watering pancakes....
    Do drop in sometime

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  48. @Monlisa, thanks for trying this. am glad that you liked it.

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