Chana Dal Cheela
Wholesome, savory lentil pancakes, a delightful Indian breakfast.
⏱️ 45 min🍽️ Serves 1
🔥 280 kcal💪 14g protein🍚 38g carbs🥑 8g fat🌾 6g fibreper serving
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servings
Ingredients
- 🍚1 cup chana dal (split chickpeas)
- 🍚¼ cup rice flour
- 🧅½ onion, finely chopped
- 🌶️1 green chili, minced
- 🫚1 inch ginger, grated
- 🌿¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 🟠½ tsp turmeric powder
- 💨¼ tsp asafoetida (hing)
- 🥣½ tsp cumin powder
- 🌶️½ tsp red chili powder
- 🧂1 tsp salt
- 🧈2 tbsp oil or ghee, for cooking
Pro tips
- For extra protein and flavor, add finely grated paneer or crumbled tofu to the batter.
- Adjust the amount of green chili and red chili powder to your preferred spice level.
- Serve hot with green chutney, pickle, or yogurt for a complete meal.
- Ensure the batter is not too thin; it should be thick enough to spread easily but not runny.
Method
- 1Wash and soak chana dal in water for at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain thoroughly.
- 2Grind the soaked chana dal with a little water (about 1/4 cup) to a smooth, thick batter. Transfer to a bowl.
- 3Add rice flour, chopped onion, green chili, grated ginger, chopped cilantro, turmeric powder, asafoetida, cumin powder, red chili powder, and salt to the batter. Mix well, adding more water if needed to achieve a pancake-like consistency.
- 4Heat a non-stick griddle or tawa over medium heat. Lightly grease with oil or ghee.
- 5Pour a ladleful of batter onto the hot griddle and spread it evenly into a thin circle, similar to a pancake or dosa.
- 6Drizzle a little oil or ghee around the edges and cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
- 7Flip the cheela and cook on the other side for another 1-2 minutes until cooked through and golden.
- 8Repeat with the remaining batter, greasing the griddle as needed.