Gluten-free vegetarian spicy delicious chila or pancake. A breakfast dish with all the goodness of chickpeas, lentils, soybeans, and paneer. Every ingredient is a rich source of protein. Perfect protein rich breakfast for vegetarian people. You can get some more gluten-free breakfast recipes here.
This protein-rich vegetarian breakfast can be a great way to start your day with the nutrients you need to stay energized and satisfied until your next meal. You can also call it a veg omelet. Vegetarian sources of protein include beans, lentils, paneer/cottage cheese or tofu, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.
In this recipe, I used chickpea, which is a rich source of protein.
Moong dal or yellow lentil. Dal or lentils are also rich in protein.
Paneer or cottage cheese is also a very good source of protein and perfect for vegetarian people. You can also use tofu instead of paneer.
Soybean flour. Soyabean is known as super food because of it’s nutritional value. And it’s also rich in protein. And I love to use this flour in my bakes. You can get some more Soybean flour recipes here.
You have to soak lentil and chickpea. And pressure cook the chickpeas till soft. Then, blend everything to make a smooth batter. Add all the spices, cilantro chili, and rice flour. Rice flour will give a crispy texture. Now make chila or pancake or make appe with this batter. Choice is yours.
Recipe
Black chickpeas – 1/3 cup
Moong dal or yellow lentil with skin – 1/3 cup
Soybean flour – 1/2 cup
Rice flour – 1/4 cup
Crumbled paneer – 1/2 cup
Green chili – 2, chopped
Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon
Chaat masala – 1 teaspoon
Black pepper powder – 1/2 teaspoon
Cilantro or coriander leaves – handful, chopped
Curd or yogurt – 1/2 cup
Water – 1 cup or as required
Salt – 1&1/2 teaspoon or to taste
Oil – 2 tablespoons
Method
1. Rinse and soak the black chickpea overnight. Also, soak rinsed moong dal or yellow lentil overnight or for 2-3 hours.
2. Pressure cook soaked black chickpea till soft. Let it cool down. Take out the chickpeas from the pressure cooker. Reserve the water.
3. Grind boiled black chickpeas. Add reserved water of boiled chickpeas to make smooth paste.
4. Grind the soaked moong dal or yellow lentil with curd or yogurt. Make a smooth paste. Add paneer and blend again.
5. In a mixing bowl, combine the ground black chickpeas, moong dal, yogurt and paneer paste, soybean flour, green chili, cilantro or coriander leaves, cumin powder, black pepper powder, chaat masala and salt.
6. Mix everything well. Add water as required. Make a lump free smooth batter.
7. Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat.
8. Scoop a laddle full of the mixture into the pan and spread it evenly to form a chila or pancake. You can make thin chila just like thin dosa. Or make medium thick chila like pancake. Watch the video for both. Drizzle little oil on the sides.
9. Cook on low medium heat for 2-3 minutes on one side or until golden brown. For crisp texture, cook on simmer.
10. Flip the chila and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side. Or till golden brown.
11. Repeat with the remaining mixture to make 4 chila/pancake or veg omelets in total. Serve hot with any chutney, sauce, or side salad.
You can also make appe with remaining batter.
1. Add little fruit salt and mix well. Give a good stir.
2. Heat appe pan. Pour little oil in all the holes. Pour spoon full batter in every hole. Cover and cook on low medium heat till appe becomes nicely browned.
3. Flip and cook the other side. Don’t cover this time. Cook till appe becomes golden brown from both sides. Serve hot with any sauce or chutney.
Enjoy your nutritious and delicious protein-rich breakfast!
Notes
1. You can use grated carrot or any vegetable of your choice in the batter.
2. Use chili according to your spice tolerance.
3. Vegan people can use tofu instead of paneer or cottage cheese and skip curd or yogurt. Add little lemon juice instead for taste.
4. You can also use masoor dal or red lentil or any other lentils instead of moong dal or yellow lentil.
For the theme protein rich breakfast linking this recipe to
Gluten-free Vegetarian Savory Pancake/Spicy Delicious Chila/Protein Rich Breakfast
Equipment
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 laddle
- 1 Pan or skillet
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Mixer grinder
Ingredients
- 1/3 Cup Black chickpea
- 1/3 Cup Moong dal or yellow lentil with skin
- 1/2 Cup Soyabean flour
- 1/4 C Cup Rice flour
- 1/2 Cup Paneer or cottage cheese Crumbled
- 2 Green chilli Chopped
- 1 tsp Cumin powder
- 1 tsp Chaat masala
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper powder
- 1/4 Cup Cilantro or coriander leaves Chopped
- 1/2 Cup Curd or yogurt
- 1 Cup Water
- 1&1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Oil
Instructions
- Rinse and soak the black chickpea overnight. Also, soak rinsed moong dal or yellow lentil overnight or for 2-3 hours.
- Pressure cook soaked black chickpea till soft. Let it cool down. Take out the chickpeas from the pressure cooker. Reserve the water.
- Grind boiled black chickpeas. Add reserved water of boiled chickpeas to make smooth paste.
- Grind the soaked moong dal or yellow lentil with curd or yogurt. Make a smooth paste. Add paneer and blend again.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the ground black chickpeas, moong dal, yogurt and paneer paste, soybean flour, green chili, cilantro or coriander leaves, cumin powder, black pepper powder, chaat masala and salt.
- Mix everything well. Add water as required. Make a lump free smooth batter.
- Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat.
- Scoop a laddle full of the mixture into the pan and spread it evenly to form a chila or pancake. You can make thin chila just like thin dosa. Or make medium thick chila like pancake. Watch the video for both. Drizzle little oil on the sides.
- Cook on low medium heat for 2-3 minutes on one side or until golden brown. For crisp texture, cook on simmer.
- Flip the chila and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side. Or till golden brown.
- Repeat with the remaining mixture to make 4 chila/pancake or veg omelets in total. Serve hot with any chutney, sauce, or side salad.
- You can also make appe with remaining batter. Add little fruit salt and mix well. Give a good stir.
- Heat appe pan. Pour little oil in all the holes. Pour spoon full batter in every hole. Cover and cook on low medium heat till appe becomes nicely browned.
- Flip and cook the other side. Don’t cover this time. Cook till appe becomes golden brown from both sides. Serve hot with any sauce or chutney.
I like both the appe pan and the chilla versions here. so good to have this protein rich chilla for breakfast/ light dinner too !
This is really a protein packed breakfast. I love any kind of cheela and this is a must try for me. So healthy
Very healthy and gluten free breakfast option. I love such simple and comforting dishes. Paniyarams also is a nice variation.
I often make protein rich chila for breakfast but don’t know why I never think of adding paneer to the batter. Such a wonderful idea Sujata. Next chila recipe will be with paneer and cooked brown/black chana.
Beautiful recipe for nutritious cheela, Sujata ji! Love how you have used a variety of whole legumes and flours here. Would love to try this out for breakfast some day.
This is full on protein packed recipe with black gram, moong dal , paneer and soy flour. Must be quite flavorful too. Addition of vegetables will take it to next level.
What an innovative recipe! love the three strong been based chila which will be filling for the workdays.
Healthy and a protein rich breakfast for sure, perfect for breakfast or for lunhbox.
As always, a unique and innovative recipe from you, Sujata ji! Love the variety of flours you have used here.. would definitely love to try this out some time. 🙂
Nice chila made with black chick peas and moong dal. It is filling and looks tasty too. It will be ideal for my sunday breakfast.
I make chilla with chickpeas but a good idea to use the same batter for making appe. Looks so delicious and would love to try it out soon.
Wow, what a way to add so many ingredients and yet no one will know… Love the chila, looks very filling…
Love this protein packed cheela. Adding paneer to the batter sounds interesting. My boys will definitely love it . Thanks for sharing .
I like both the appe pan and the chilla versions here. so good to have this protein rich chilla for breakfast/ light dinner too ! will definitely try it shortly
Such a protein rich dish with different varieties of flours. With all thw different spice powders, I would prefer eating them as is. Bookmarked this recipe to try in future.
Such a protein rich and gluten free chilla recipe di. I love the way you use different varities of flours in your recipes di. Appe too looking tasty, one batter two recipes, good idea di.
Protein packed cheelas are a very healthy breakfast option. Nice idea to add paneer to the batter and make cheelas or appes.
Love these gluten-free vegetarian chila. Perfectly spicy n delicious breakfast dish with a rich source of protein.