Paneer Stuffed Besan Cheela

Ingredients

• 1 cup besan (split chickpea gram flour; sifted)
• 0.5 cup water (start with 1/2 cup and add up to 1/4 cup more for thinner cheelas)
• 1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain; fennel seeds also work)
• 0.25 tsp turmeric
• 0.5 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder (or paprika)
• 0.25 tsp roasted cumin powder
• salt (to taste)
• 0.5 shallot (finely diced)
• 2.5 green chilies (finely diced; adjust for heat)
• 1 tomato (small, finely diced)
• cilantro (handful, chopped)
• 100 g paneer (grated; amount to preference)
• salt (pinch for seasoning paneer)
• roasted cumin powder (pinch for seasoning paneer)
• Kashmiri red chili powder (pinch for seasoning paneer)
• sumac (pinch for seasoning paneer)
• oil (for frying)

Steps

1. 1

   Grate the paneer into a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt, roasted cumin powder, Kashmiri red chili, and sumac. Mix well and set aside.

2. 2

   Sift the besan (chickpea flour) into a large mixing bowl to ensure there are no lumps.

3. 3

   Add the carom seeds, turmeric, Kashmiri red chili, roasted cumin powder, salt, diced shallot, green chilies, diced tomato, and chopped cilantro to the flour.

4. 4

   Pour in 1/2 cup of water and whisk thoroughly. If you prefer a thinner cheela, add an additional 1/4 cup of water until the desired consistency is reached.

5. 5

   Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and add a small amount of oil.

6. 6

   Once the pan is hot, pour a portion of the batter and spread it into a thin, even layer.

7. 7

   Cook low and slow for a few minutes until the bottom is golden brown and small holes appear on the surface.

8. 8

   Carefully flip the cheela and cook the other side until golden brown, ensuring the heat is not too high to prevent burning before it is cooked through.

9. 9

   Optional: Spread a little chili oil or your preferred toppings over the cooked cheela.

10. 10

    Place a generous amount of the seasoned grated paneer onto the cheela, fold it in half, and serve hot with cilantro chutney or ketchup.

Notes

To make the cilantro chutney: Blend together cilantro, half an onion, one tomato, green chilies, lemon juice, 3 garlic cloves, and salt. You can also add a little bit of mint for extra freshness. Ensure you dice the vegetables very small so the cheela doesn't break when flipping.

Nutrition per serving

• breakfast
• main
• vegetarian
• gluten-free
• high-protein
• indian
• savory pancake