These vegan Oats Chilla are savory pancakes made with rolled oats, besan (gram flour) and veggies. These are mildly spiced, packed with fiber, nutrients and are great for breakfast or lunch!
pinchKashmiri red chili powderoptional, or use regular chili powder
1teaspoongingerfinely chopped
1green chilifinely chopped, add more to taste
2tablespoonschopped cilantro
1/4-1/3cupgrated carrotsI used the thicker side of the grater
1/4-1/3cupred onionfinely chopped, I used a food processor to finely chop it
wateras needed to form a batter, around 1 & 1/4 cups of water
4-5teaspoonsoilas needed, to cook the chilla
Instructions
To a pan on medium heat, add the rolled oats. Dry roast for 2 to 3 minutes until the oats are little fragrant, we are not looking for any color change here. Remove pan from heat.
Transfer the oats to a grinder/blender. I like using a spice grinder for this. Pulse a few times to grind the oats into flour. Your oat flour is now ready.
Transfer the prepared oat flour to a large bowl and also add the following: besan, sooji, ajwain, turmeric, salt (to taste) and pinch of Kashmiri red chili powder (optional).
Then add the following: chopped ginger, green chili, cilantro, grated carrots and finely chopped onions. Stir it together using a spatula.
Now, start adding water and mix everything using a wire whisk. I added around 3/4 cup water at this point. Then cover the bowl with a plate and let it sit for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, the mixture would appear thicker as it will absorb water. Now, add remaining water and stir. In total, I added around 1 & 1/4 cup water. It can be little more or less depending on the brand of flour being used.The final consistency of the batter should be reasonably and pouring. It should not be runny and it should not be super thick either.
Heat a pan on medium heat, I like using my cast iron skillet. Pour a ladle full of batter into the center of the pan. You can make smaller or bigger chillas depending on how much batter you use.
Spread the batter using the ladle until you have a circle of around 6-inches diameter. Pour little oil (around 1/2 to 1 teaspoon) around the edges of the chilla and also few drops in the center.
Cover with a lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Once one side has cooked, flip the chilla carefully using a spatula.Press and cook the other side (uncovered) for additional 2 to 3 minutes until it is cooked and has brown spots.
Carefully remove chilla from the skillet. Make all chilla similarly until the batter is finished. You will get 5 to 6 chillas from the batter (or more of you have smaller chillas). Serve them with cilantro chutney or ketchup.
Notes
I have added only onions and carrots here but you can add many more veggies here like tomato, green pepper, green onions, spinach. Just make sure to fine chop all of them before adding to the recipe.
The texture of these chilla is so much better when the veggies are finely chopped. So, I like using a food processor to finely chop the onions and grate the carrots using a grater and I highly recommend you do the same. Or finely chop with knife if you have the skills!
Leftover chillas can be wrapped in a paper towel and then in an aluminum foil (this prevents them from getting soggy) and refrigerated. To re-heat you can pop them in the microwave or heat in a pan over medium heat.
If you wish, you can make these more filling and protein-packed by pairing these with tofu scramble. You can serve the scramble on the side or place it inside the chilla and serve.
To make these gluten-free, use gluten-free rolled oats and skip sooji (semolina).