Chhattisgarhi Chila
Veg
Vegan
Thin rice flour pancakes — ground from local aromatic rice varieties like Dubraj or Vishnu Bhog, fermented overnight, and cooked on a tawa in a thin drizzle of oil until crisp at the edges and soft at the centre. Eaten for breakfast with thechwaa chutney and jaggery. Distinct from the besan cheela of North India in its rice base and lighter texture.
Cuisines
Chhattisgarhi
Best for
Breakfast
Recipe
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 45 min
2-3 servings
Ingredients
| 1 cup | rice flour |
| 1/2 cup | split black gram (urad dal) |
| 1/4 cup | chana dal |
| 1 cup | water |
| 1 teaspoon | cumin seeds |
| 1 teaspoon | ginger paste |
| 1 teaspoon | green chili paste |
| 1 cup | finely chopped onions |
| 1/2 cup | finely chopped coriander leaves |
| 1 teaspoon | salt |
| — | oil for cooking |
Instructions
- 1 Rinse the split black gram and chana dal thoroughly and soak them in water for 4-5 hours or overnight.
- 2 Drain the soaked dals and grind them to a smooth batter using a little water.
- 3 In a mixing bowl, combine rice flour, ground dal batter, cumin seeds, ginger paste, green chili paste, chopped onions, chopped coriander leaves, and salt.
- 4 Add water gradually to the mixture to form a smooth, pourable batter.
- 5 Heat a non-stick pan or tawa over medium heat and grease it lightly with oil.
- 6 Pour a ladleful of batter onto the pan and spread it evenly to form a thin pancake.
- 7 Drizzle a little oil around the edges and cook until the bottom is golden brown and crisp.
- 8 Flip the chila and cook the other side until golden brown.
- 9 Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining batter.
- 10 Serve hot with chutney or pickle.
Tips
For a spicier chila, increase the amount of green chili paste.