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Besan Egg Palak Chilla / Cheela - Chickpea Flour Egg Spinach Omelette

Besan Chilla is made from chickpea flour. You can add vegetables of your choice. I have added spinach, tomatoes, and onions in this recipe. You can add carrots, and mushrooms as well. This recipe is very easy and is something that you can whip up really quickly. I often pack this as a school snack / lunch for my kids.
People often also label besan chilla / cheela as a vegetarian omelette or a vegetarian pancake.
However, this one is different. It has an egg in it. So it cannot be termed as being vegetarian. 
This is a very filling snack or a breakfast item. Packed with protein and fiber.
This recipe makes about 4 chickpea flour egg spinach omelettes / besan egg palak chilla’s.
What is chickpea flour?
As the name suggests, chickpea flour is made from chickpeas, which falls into the category of legumes and pulses. Unlike all-purpose flour, this flour is high in protein, and a good source of vitamins, minerals, and is gluten free. It is also known as gram or garbanzo bean flour.
It is available in Asian stores, health food stores, and all leading grocery stores in the U.S.
How do we make besan egg palak chilla?
It is very simple. Mix 1 cup chickpea flour with 3/4  cup water. Mix water and the flour well and make sure that there are no lumps. Then add the egg and mix it well. Then throw in all the toppings, like cilantro, spinach, serrano peppers, onions, and tomatoes.
Throw in spices like red chili powder, carom seeds, and asafoetida. Give it a good stir.
Use a non-stick omelette pan to make the chilla. Super easy and very flavorful.
Here is the detailed recipe:
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: Indian, North Indian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tomato finely chopped (1/3 cup chopped)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp asafoetida

    powder     (heeng)
  • 1/4 tsp ground turmeric

     (haldi)
  • 1/4 cup onion finely chopped (white, yellow, or red)
  • 1/4 tsp carom seeds

     (ajwain)
  • 1/4 cup spinach finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro finely chopped (dhainya ke patte)
  • 1 serrano pepper, small finely chopped (green chili pepper) (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp red chili powder

    (ground cayenne pepper)     (optional)
  • 2.5 tsp oil of choice per chilla

Method
 

Prep
  1. Wash and chop the onions, spinach, cilantro, tomatoes, and serrano pepper.
  2. Add the chickpea flour in a bowl. Add water gradually and mix. Ensure that there are no lumps. You can mix the ingredients with a spoon or a whisk. You don’t need a blender.
  3. Then add the egg and mix well.
  4. Add all the other ingredients except oil.
Cook
  1. Heat oil in a frying pan on medium-heat. When the pan is hot, add about 1/4 cup batter with a ladle in the center of the pan, spreading it outwardly. It should look like an omelette but not too thick or layered. 
  2. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes until the edges are brown and the egg chilla can be lifted and turned easily. 
  3. Flip it over and cook on the other side. It needs to be well cooked and golden brown. Use a flat spatula for flipping the egg chilla.
  4. Transfer the cooked egg chilla in a plate.
  5. Continue making additional egg chilla's until you run out of batter.
Serve
  1. Serve the cooked egg besan spinach chilla hot with ketchup or cilantro chutney.

Notes

  • Ground cayenne pepper and red chili powder can be used interchangeably as both of them make the dish spicy. So if you don’t have red chili powder you can use cayenne pepper instead.