Besan ka puda (Savoury pancake)

Besan ka puda (also known as besan puda, besan ka cheela, gram flour cheela or savoury crepes), is a popular, savoury Indian pancake made with chickpea flour (besan). Great for a quick snack or breakfast on the go, this is a popular dish in Amar Singh’s household served with plain yoghurt, mint chutney and seasonal fruits.

This popular savoury Indian pancake is made with chickpea flour and is great for a quick snack or breakfast on the go.

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 1 cup besan (chickpea flour)
• ¼ cup rice flour
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp salt
• ¾ cup water
• 1 cup grated zucchini
• 1 tsp finely chopped green chilli
• ½ cup roughly chopped baby spinach leaves
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
• 6 tbsp oil vegetable

To serve

• mint chutney (see Note)
• natural yoghurt, store-bought mixed Indian pickle

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the besan, rice flour, cumin seeds and salt and mix well to combine. Gradually add the water to form a smooth batter, the consistency of pancake or dosa batter. Stir through the grated zucchini, chilli, spinach and coriander and mix well to combine.

2. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, pour 2 ladles of batter into the pan and spread evenly with the back of a spoon to form an 18 cm circle. When the top is dry, spoon 1 tsp vegetable oil over the top, wait 30 seconds, then flip the puda using a flat spatula.

3. Press the puda lightly all around with the spatula to help it cook evenly. Turn the puda three to four times, until crisp and brown on both sides. Repeat until all the pudas are cooked, then serve with mint chutney, yoghurt and Indian pickle on the side.

Note

• To make fresh mint chutney, place 1 bunch mint, 1 roughly chopped onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 small piece jaggery, 2 tbsp tamarind paste and salt to taste, in a hand blender and blitz until you reach preferred texture.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

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Watch the full episode here

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