Cheela to cherish

Cheela or Chilla are basically flavourful savoury Indian pancakes made with various kinds of flour. These desi pancakes are mostly made with unleavened batter so they are considered to be healthy. There are many kinds of cheela made in the households using various kinds of flour like oats, semolina, millet flour and even wheat flour.

Before you start making Besan ka Cheela, sieve the besan or gram flour so that the batter comes out smooth. While making the batter, mix it well and allow it to stand for five minutes, then mix again so it does not turn out lumpy. Made from gram flour this dish is usually eaten in combination with curd, is an instant, nutritious, low calorie, protein rich recipe ideal for breakfast and snack time. Cheela can be a part of weight loss diet since it is low in calories and is also a good vegetarian protein source.

Moong Dal Chilla is a healthier alternative though. It is lighter and more nutritious in comparison to Besan ka Chilla. You can make a thin crepe with moong dal, thinly sliced onions, and half a teaspoon of oil on a non-stick. Eat it hot off the griddle, else it gets soggy, serve with fresh pudina chutney, and wash it down with a glass of jeera flavoured buttermilk or lassi.

Here are a few easy and healthy recipes to try out & relish!

Health Total Cheela

Ingredients
1 cup Jowar ka atta/flour
¼ cup whole wheat flour
1 cup methi leaves, chopped
2 tbsp. sooji
1 tbsp. curd
½ tsp red chili powder
½ tsp jeera powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 pinch of hing
1 tsp ginger, grated
1 tsp chopped green chilies
Oil as needed
Water as needed
To serve with: Green chutney/ Amla chutney
Method: In a mixing bowl, combine together the Jowar ka atta, wheat flour, sooji, salt to taste, hing, ginger, green chilies, methi leaves and powdered spices, curd and add water a little at a time and form it into a medium thick coating and dropping texture, allow to rest for 15-20 mins. Heat a non-stick tava and grease with a little oil or ghee and using a round spoon or a ladle drop in the prepared rested mixture onto the tava and spread lightly and allow to settle. Using a little oil or ghee from the sides allow the cheela to cook and once it starts leaving the sides easily flip it over and cook on both sides to a nice color and remove, serve hot.

Tridali Cheela

Ingredients
½ cup white urad dal
½ cup yellow moong dal
½ cup orange masoor dal
¼ cup rice or 2 tbsp. rice flour
Salt to taste
1 pinch of hing
Oil/ ghee as needed
1 tsp green chili, chopped
1 tsp ginger, chopped
2 tbsp. sooji
Method: Clean and wash the dals and rice well and soak them together in 4-5 cups of water for 3-4 hours and drain the water. Add the dals and rice to the mixer jar along with hing, ginger, green chili and add a little water and grind it to a nice paste and remove into a bowl add sooji and rice flour if not using the regular rice on top and mix well, cover and rest aside for 15-20 mins, adjust liquid content or water as needed to get the right dropping and pouring texture for your cheela mixture. Heat a non-stick tava, grease with a little oil or ghee and spread out the mixture and drizzle a little oil from the sides and allow to settle and cook for a few minutes. Flip over and cook on both sides to get a nice crusty color, remove and serve hot with coconut chutney/south indian podi or ketchup.

Moong Dal Ka Cheela

Ingredients
1 cup green moong dal, split or whole
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger, chopped
2 tsp green chili, chopped
3 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
2 tbsp. rice flour
Salt to taste
Oil/ ghee as needed for cooking
1 pinch of hing
2 tbsp. sooji
Method: Clean and wash the moong dal well and soak in 3-4 cups of water for 2-3 hours. Drain the dal and add it to the mixer jar also add in the onion, ginger, chili, coriander leaves and using a little water grind it all to a smooth mixture. Remove the mixture into a bowl add in the rice flour, sooji, salt, hing and mix it all well. Cover and rest aside for 15-20 mins. Using a non-stick tava with a light greasing of oil/ghee spread out the mixture and allow to cook, use little oil as needed to cook on both sides and remove, serve hot with assorted dips/chutneys etc.

Masaledaar Besan Ka Cheela

Ingredients
1 cup besan
Salt to taste
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp coriander seeds, crushed
2 tsp oil
Oil/ ghee to cook
Water as needed
1 tbsp. rice flour
½ tsp jeera powder
1 small onion chopped
1 small tomato chopped
1 tsp green chilies, chopped
½ green capsicum, chopped
2 tbsp. green coriander leaves, chopped
Method: Sieve the besan, in a mixing bowl combine together the besan, rice flour along with salt to taste, all the powdered spices, little oil and make a nice thick batter to start with and allow to rest for 12-15 mins. Now add in the veggies of your choice from onions, tomatoes, green chilies, coriander, green capsicum etc and give it a nice mix. Adjust the texture to get it pouring by adding little water, rest for another 3-4 mins and grease a non-stick tava with a little oil and spread out the mixture and swirl the pan to spread evenly. Allow to cook on one side and using little oil/ghee cook on both sides to a nice golden color and remove, cut and serve with buttered bread and tomato ketchup/chutneys.

Pyaaz Tamatar-Oats Ka Cheela

Ingredients
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup besan
1 onion small, chopped
1 tomato small, chopped
2 tbsp. carrot, grated
Salt to taste
1 tsp green chili, chopped
1 tsp ginger, grated
¼ tsp jeera seeds
2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
Oil/ghee for cooking
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp red chili powder
Water as needed
Method: In a grinder jar, powder the rolled oats to a fine powder and in a mixing bowl combine together with besan, add in salt and all the powdered spices and using little water at a time combine it to a nice coating textured batter and mix well. Allow to rest for 7-10 mins. Now add in the assorted veggies of your choice or as listed above and mix. Heat a non-stick tava, grease with a little oil/ghee and spread out the prepared mixture and drizzle little oil on the sides and let it settle and cook. Flip the sides and cook on both sides to a nice golden color and remove. Serve hot with curd/chutneys/ tomato sauce/bowl of raita or plain curd etc.