A vegan vegetable omelet that's been made in Indian kitchens for the longest time, this Besan Cheela or Besan Chilla is completely eggless and made with nutty, delicious chickpea flour. Stir in a rainbow of veggies and herbs for more flavor and health. Vegan, soy-free, nut-free, and gluten-free recipe.
It's easy to see why a Besan Cheela often gets called a vegetarian omelet, especially in Indian vegetarian restaurants that serve up this lipsmacking dish. This chickpea-flour pancake from north India resembles its egg-containing counterpart so closely, you might think they were separated at birth.
But the resemblance is entirely skin-deep, because they taste quite different and weigh far apart on the health scale. While the traditional omelet is packed with cholesterol and reeks with that awful egg smell, the Besan Cheela (also called a Chilla) is nuttily fragrant and can be made nearly fat-free if you just spray your skillet with one of those cooking sprays instead of using real oil.
And because chickpeas are packed with protein, you will definitely not miss out on your protein in this vegan omelet.
How to make a besan chilla
You'll find that this is one of the easiest recipes you've ever made--and the quickest. And it's almost fool-proof.
The starches in the lentils bind with water and firm up as they are heated, much as the proteins in egg would weaken and bind with each other when they hit heat. This ensures that your chilla will be flippable, just like an omelet, although you do need to add some insurance by way of cooking spray or a smidge of oil to coat your skillet. Use a nonstick skillet or a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet.
The Besan Cheela can be pretty much toyed around with to suit different tastes. You can change the veggies you add to it: I added mushrooms, green peppers, onions, and tomatoes, but you could add zucchini, carrots, or spinach (if using frozen squeeze out as much water as you can).
Or you can add herbs: coriander, sage, parsley, basil, all add different but delicious flavors that make the Cheela just that little bit extra-special each time you make it.
Here's one tip: to make your Besan Cheela extra-crispy, add a mashed potato to the batter. Or just add half a cup of rice flour (preferably brown rice flour to keep it healthy).
Frequently asked questions
There appears to be some confusion about the difference between chickpea flour/garbanzo flour and besan, which is frequently referred to as chickpea flour, and whether they are interchangeable.
The facts: there are two kinds of chickpeas cultivated in India, one being the regular garbanzo bean we are all familiar with, which has a beige skin and a creamy, smooth taste. Chickpeas are called "kabuli chana" because they are believed to have arrived in India from Kabul, in Afghanistan. Chickpea flour or garbanzo bean flour is usually made from this kind of chickpea.
Then there is kala chana, or black gram, a smaller chickpea with a dark brown skin that's native to India. Kala chana is used to make chana dal, used in dishes like Cholar Dal, and to make besan. Kala chana has a more full-bodied and nuttier flavor than the garbanzo bean.
What you really need to know: Besan and chickpea/garbanzo bean flour are eminently interchangeable and will perform alike in recipes. The only rider is that they need to be finely ground.
The batter should be a little runnier than a pancake batter. You want the chilla to be thinner than a pancake but thicker than a crepe, which would help it hold on to the veggies you add to it.
A chilla should preferably made just before eating, because it will taste the best when it is fresh. You can mix the batter and keep it in the refrigerator for a day or two, however. It takes very little time to cook the chilla itself.
Looking for more vegan recipes?
- Zunka Bhakar (rustic flatbreads with a chickpea-veggie scramble)
- Vegan Scrambled Eggs
- Soy-free Spinach Chickpea Quiche
- Crunchy Chickpea Roasted Potatoes, no oil
- Vegan Butternut Squash Farinata
- Moonglet, a vegan mung bean omelet
Besan Cheela recipe
Eggless Omelet (Besan Chilla)
Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpea flour (besan or gram flour or garbanzo bean flour)
- ½ small onion (minced)
- ¼ medium tomato (finely diced)
- 4 button mushrooms (minced)
- ¼ green bell pepper (finely diced)
- 1 tsp ginger (grated)
- 2 cloves garlic (grated or crushed)
- ½ to 1 tsp cayenne (use more or less per your taste)
- ¼ tsp turmeric (optional, but great for color)
- Salt to taste
- ¼ cup cilantro (finely chopped)
- Cooking spray or oil to brush on skillet
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir them together. Set aside for about 15 minutes. I strongly recommend this because some of the vegetables will express water when mixed with the salt, and this will give you a better idea of how much water you need to make the batter.
- Add water (I usually add around 2 cups to make a batter slightly runnier than a pancake batter, but temperatures in your home and the climate could cause this amount to differ in your kitchen, so always make sure you add water slowly, mixing as you go. There is no gluten in this batter so you don’t have to worry that it will toughen up with too much stirring, the way a traditional pancake batter would)
- Heat a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or non-stick skillet and spray lightly with oil.
- Pour about half a cup of the batter in the center with a rounded ladle and spread slightly with the bottom of the ladle to get an even-looking round, about five inches in diameter.
- Cook on medium heat until the sides dry up and the bottom of the Besan Cheela turns richly golden-brown.
- Flip over and cook until the other side turns golden-brown.
- Serve hot with an herby coconut chutney.
Nutrition
Love this vegan eggless omelet? Check out more Indian vegan recipes on Holy Cow Vegan!
Hello again, Vaishali: Went to wholefoods (here in Florida, USA) and bought Garbanzo bean flour for the Besan Chilla. They have one package that says "Garbanzo bean and fava bean flour" and I was wondering if that would also taste good with your recipe?? I also "had" to grab "Gardeins holiday roast" which looks just awesome? Maybe your husband, Desi might like it...haha! Just kidding! Anyway, the dish came out delicious (have a great love for garbanzo beans, too) I even put mashed potato inside, and made the coconut chutney. Just added spinach as a side dish, and wow! Being new to cooking these foods makes it even more exciting! Thank you again. Just have a couple of questions? How do you best store leftovers? Also, I was told that "fresh cilantro" in the USA is the same as " fresh Coriander." And "bay leaves" are a good substitute for "Curry leaves." Do you agree? Happy Sunday. Angela
Hi Angela, never heard of a garbanzo-fava flour mix-- sounds like it worked in this recipe! I love the idea of mashed potato in there-- more spuds never hurt a body. 🙂 With the leftovers of the besan chila, I would just store the batter in the refrigerator and make the chila hot before serving. Already cooked chilas won't taste so great warmed up. And yes, coriander and cilantro are one and the same. But bay leaves are definitely not an appropriate substitute for curry leaves. Curry leaves have a very distinct and strong aroma and are quite different.
Will try the pot roast on Desi! 🙂
I love besan chilla and this recipe is very similar to what I use. Love quick snack recipes like these as they really help break the monotony of a bread-omellete breakfast and bread-jam evening snack routine.
I have to agree with Melina...this is FABULOUS!!! It is truly delicious. I have seen this before, but never made it until today. I had some wild ramps and some fiddleheads that I included. The ramps were fine diced and the fiddleheads were steamed and eaten as a filling of sorts. Delicious!!! Wonderfully seasoned!! Thank you!!!
If you were in front of me, I'd kiss you!! hee heee. I've been looking everywhere for a recipe that reminded me of an omelette. Not just because I used to like omelettes, but I used to like their versatility and the ability to throw anything I want in there and feel satisfied. I have tried all sorts of vegan 'replacements' with tofu and tahini and all sorts of things, but none have worked. THIS WAS AMAZING. I've had it about 5 times in 3 days, not kidding. It is so so easy, it cooks well, it holds together and actually flips over, it is versatile and it tastes great! thank you thank you thank you!!!!
From Australia, love your ideas and Indian food. This recipe look great.
Please, I love the recipe except the bell pepper thing but please, do not depict an egg as something with an awful smell. Also, the cholesterol is not only present in eggs but in many other foods including "GHEE", he he!
I love the smell of egg and in things like a pound cake, it smells AWFULLY good! That reminds me of a Gujarati guy I had to take to Paris for work and he was a veg so he would not eat anything. In sheer frustration, I took him to a pastry shop thinking sweets may go down better but there too, he would not touch anything...because, even the icecream had eggs. Ah well!
Pradeep
Pradeep, This is a vegan blog so there are no foods with cholesterol -- like ghee-- here. Cholesterol is entirely an animal product and it does not exist in vegetable foods. Maybe it's time you stopped eating those eggs because they're clogging your arteries with every bite.
I just happened to pick up some besan today from my local Indian market to use in a recipe from The Sexy Vegan cookbook. I was curious as to what else could be done with besan. I just came across your website about an hour ago. I am happy to report that my tummy and tastebuds are completely pleased because I wasted no time making a chilla with the veggies I had on hand. Where have chillas been all my life?!!! They will be making regular appearances from now on in this household.
This is quite interesting. I have never tried this in my entire life. I do love eggs so maybe I will miss the egg flavour with this dish; however, this will certainly be a healthy choice. Thank you again for this post. I hope you keep posting recipes like this.
This is also known as Besan Puda in India. We add finely chopped cabbage to the besan batter along with spices and make thin dosas out of it. Just for your info 🙂
How fabulous is your blog! I really enjoy your writing and your photography. I look forward to making your bean and oat burgers very soon. I made a version of a chilla this past week.
Hi, I tried leaving a comment on your spinach chillas, but something seems to be off. I really loved the idea of all that spinach in the pancakes and will be sure to add some spinach to the chillas the next time I make them. Thanks for your kind words about Holy Cow!
How fabulous is your blog! I really enjoy your writing and photos and will be bookmarking several recipes, starting with the bean and oat burgers! I made something similar to your chillas this past week:
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Thanks for the recipe!
I love the way you have described it "Eggless Vegetable Omelet" .. made a traditional Indian dish more understandable n easy to make for outsiders. Love your simple method too. I am a chilla-fan and reading it on your page has refreshed my love for it all the more. Good job ! 🙂
Thank you SO much for posting this. I just tripped over this recipe while looking for some inspiration.
Since becoming vegan, one of the odd things I missed was the omelet. I even have a little ceramic "non-stick" pan that was made specifically for omelets that has been very lonely.
I'm looking forward to trying this!!
Vaishali,
I made these twice. Love them. Of course each time I added whatever veges I had handy. This time it was cabbage, scallions, tomato, green chilli.
Thanks for the recipe!
Healing vibes to Pubm 🙁
I just posted my version of a perfect traditional omelet - but must confess, the besan omelet is a weakness of mine, and mine don't somehow come out this well - these are perfect!
BTW, I have posted an eggless muffin recipe - but I do believe the flax you use in your muffins, makes a difference, Must try this next time
I made these a few nights ago, following your recipe--and they were fantastic! I used a slightly different vegetable mixture (what I had on hand), but they were still great. I'll definitely be making these again! Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
i have this on my blog too 🙂
lovely chilla...