AI-generated image
Chhattisgarhi chila
Rice flour pancakes
Lacy rice-flour pancakes (चावल का चीला) from Chhattisgarh, served with a smoky tomato and chilli chutney
Chhattisgarh calls itself the rice bowl of India, and its everyday breakfast proves it: chila made from nothing more than rice batter, salt and a few aromatics, poured paper-thin onto a hot tawa. Village kitchens grind soaked rice on a stone; rice flour makes it quick enough for a weekday. The pancakes are soft in the middle with crisp, lacy edges and come with a rough chutney of fire-roasted tomato, garlic and green chilli. This is different from the thick gram-flour chila common elsewhere in India. Chef's tip: stir the batter before every ladle, because rice flour sinks fast and the last chilas otherwise turn thick and gummy.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the chila
- 5 ½ oz rice flour
- 1 ¼ cups waterapproximately
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 green chillifinely chopped
- 1 small onionvery finely chopped
- ⅓ oz fresh corianderchopped
- 3 tbsp vegetable oilfor the pan
For the tomato chutney
- 2 tomatoes
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅛ oz fresh coriander
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (5)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: For the chutney, roast 2 tomatoes, 2 green chillies and 3 garlic cloves over a gas flame or in a dry pan on high heat for 5–6 minutes, turning, until the skins blister and blacken in spots. Peel the tomatoes roughly and crush everything with ½ tsp salt and ⅛ oz fresh coriander in a mortar or a quick blitz. Keep it chunky.
8 minStep 2: Whisk 5 ½ oz rice flour with 1 ¼ cups water, ¾ tsp salt and ½ tsp cumin seeds to a smooth, thin batter, like pouring cream. Stir in 1 green chilli, 1 small onion and ⅓ oz fresh coriander. Rest for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 3: Heat a cast-iron tawa or non-stick pan on medium-high and wipe with a little 3 tbsp vegetable oil. Test with a drop of water: it should dance and vanish.
Step 4: Stir the batter, then pour a ladle from the edge of the pan inwards in a circle, tilting so it spreads thin. Small holes and a lacy edge mean the batter and heat are right. Too-thick batter is the common mistake; it steams into a rubbery disc, so thin it with a spoonful of water if needed.
Step 5: Drizzle a few drops of oil around the edge, cover for 1 minute, then uncover and cook for another minute until the edges lift and the underside has golden spots. Flip for 30 seconds if you like, then fold and serve straight away with the chutney. Repeat with the rest, about 12 chilas.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chhattisgarhi chila take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
- What can I use instead of green chilli?
- A pinch of chilli flakes per chilli.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
SakarpadaSweet fried dough diamonds
Sakarpada (shakarpara) are little sweet diamonds of a rich dough made with ghee, milk and sugar, fried until golden and crunchy. They are a Diwali favourite with tea, and the cubes go into bhusu too. They keep for weeks in an air-tight tin.
Paneer biryaniRice and moong dal in coconut milk
A mild, creamy biryani: rice and husked green gram roasted in ghee, then cooked in coconut milk with peas, carrots, potatoes, peanuts and cashews, and finished with soft fried paneer and a fresh coriander yogurt. Serve hot, garnished with more fried cashews and paneer.
Sabudana khichdiSago with peanuts and potato
Sabudana khichdi is the dish that sees Maharashtra through every vrat (fast), from Navratri to Ekadashi, but it's so good that people eat it any day of the week. Soaked sago pearls are tossed in a pan with crushed roasted peanuts, cubes of potato, cumin and green chilli until each pearl turns glassy and separate, then finished with lemon and coriander. It's soft, chewy, nutty and gently hot. Fasting rules vary from family to family, so check yours; this version uses rock salt and no asafoetida, onion or garlic. Traditionally it's cooked in ghee; use ghee instead of oil if you aren't keeping it vegan. Chef's tip: soak the sago in just enough water to cover by the height of the pearls themselves, no more; too much water is the reason khichdi turns into one sticky lump.
