Turn a little atta and a handful of chopped vegetables into a warm, savoury breakfast. These Khapli cheelas use a pourable batter and an ordinary tawa. Chop the vegetables finely so the pancakes spread evenly and cook through.
Makes: 5–6 small cheelas Prep: 15 minutes, plus 10 minutes resting Cook: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup Farmilia Khapli Wheat Flour
- About 1 to 1 1/4 cups water, adjusted as needed
- 1 small onion, very finely chopped
- 1/4 cup finely grated carrot
- 2 tablespoons chopped coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 small green chilli, finely chopped, optional
- Salt to taste
- 2–3 teaspoons oil for cooking
- Mint or coriander chutney, to serve
How to make it
- Make a smooth batter. Whisk the flour with 1 cup water, adding it in stages to avoid lumps. Stir in the onion, carrot, coriander, cumin, turmeric, optional chilli and salt.
- Rest and adjust. Leave for 10 minutes. The flour will absorb some water. Add a little more until the batter pours easily from a ladle but still lightly coats a spoon.
- Heat the pan. Warm a non-stick or well-seasoned tawa over medium heat. Wipe a few drops of oil across the surface.
- Spread a small cheela. Pour in a ladle of batter and gently spread outward in a circle. Keep the first one small while you judge the consistency.
- Cook both sides. Drizzle a little oil around the edge. Cook until the top looks set and the underside is golden, then flip carefully. Cook the other side until there is no wet batter in the centre.
- Serve warm. Repeat with the remaining batter, stirring before each ladleful. Serve with chutney or plain curd.
Make it work in your kitchen
If the batter catches before spreading, lower the heat slightly. If the cheela is thick or doughy in the middle, loosen the batter with a spoonful of water and make a thinner pancake. For a different flavour, swap the carrot for finely shredded cabbage, keeping the vegetables finely cut.
