Besan Cheela - The Vegetarian Omelette!

Besan Cheelas are vegetarian omelettes for breakfast, I learnt about, during my dieting days (Yep, I've had a share of those). But my dieting was more focussed to a new lifestyle eating healthier and better. I've never starved (I can't!) just because I wanted to lose some extra pounds. My body responds beautifully to exercise. And I'm so glad it does.

The first time I read about this, it was in 'Crossword' - a nice bookstore in Pune. I was browsing through the cooking books and found a tiny booklet on healthy breakfasts or fat free breakfasts (Sorry, I forgot the author's name!). This recipe got me curious because I've never heard of a 'besan dosa like thing' until then. I was discussing this with a friend in the office cafetaria and that very day, the cafetaria happened to have 'Vegetarian Omelette' for evening snack. What a coincidence! :) We tried it and liked it, except the Omelette was dripping with oil. I've tried it often since then, it is a very quickie breakfast. And you can use any vegetables you like - tomates, onions, cabbage, carrots, etc. These Omelettes are full of proteins and make a healthy breakfast. But, if you are allergic to besan, stay away from this.

Besan/Gram flour - 1 cup
Onion - 1 finely chopped (Lengthwise or any way, but it should be very fine)
Coriander leaves - a handful (finely chopped)
Hing/Asafoetida - a pinch (optional)
Green chilly - 1 (finely chopped, should not be identifiable)
Cummin seeds - 1/2 tsp (slightly crushed in hand, not pestle and mortar)
Salt to taste
Oil - to make cheelas (less than 1/2 tsp per cheela)
Vegetables of your choice - finely grated (I skipped, since I was in a hurry)

Take the gram flour and break any lumps (Use an egg whisk). Add water and mix it to a thick batter, using the whisk. I use the whisk for everything - from rava dosa batter, pancakes and cheelas and even during the preliminary stages of upmas (SShhhh! Don't tell!). Add in the onions, cummin seeds, hing, coriander leaves, green chillies, salt and finely grated vegetables (Carrots, Cabbage, Tomatoes, Greens, squashes etc - qualify, root vegetables don't.)

Make pancakes in a hot tava/griddle and serve piping hot, with green chutney! Red colored onion/tomato chutney tastes good with this too. (Note: The hing helps in digestion of this proteinaceous pancakes.)

This is my entry for Tony's Curry Mela for this week.