Text excerpted from CHAI, CHAAT & CHUTNEY © 2017 by Chetna Makan ||| Photography: Nassima Rothacker ||| Chilla – light and healthy savoury pancakes – ?are a popular snack in Kolkata and many other parts ?of India. They taste wonderful with Coriander and ?Spinach Chutney (see page 228) or Chilli and Garlic Chutney (see page 229), and with dal or a potato curry. Try making them with different varieties of lentils, if you like.
Ingredients: [‘sunflower oil’, ‘chutney’, ‘split yellow lentils’, ‘water’, ‘fresh gingerroot’, ‘green chili pepper’, ‘coriander leaves’, ‘salt’, ‘semolina’, ‘onion’, ‘salt’, ‘green chili pepper’]
Quantity of Ingredients: [” sunflower oil, for cooking “,” chutney, of your choice to serve “,””,”250 g split yellow lentils (moong dal)”,”600 ml water”,”1 inch fresh gingerroot, peeled and roughly chopped “,”1 small green chili pepper”,” handful coriander leaves”,”1 teaspoon salt”,”50 g semolina”,””,”1 large onion, finely chopped “,”1/4 teaspoon salt”,”1 green chili pepper, finely chopped “]
Number of Servings: 1
Steps: [‘To make the batter:’, ‘Soak the lentils in 250ml (9fl oz) of the measured water for about ?1 hour, until they absorb it all.’, ‘Transfer the lentils to a blender and add the ginger, chilli, and coriander and blend until smooth. Tip the paste into a bowl and stir in the salt, semolina and the remaining 350ml (12fl oz) measured water, mixing well.’, ‘Combine all the topping ingredients in a bowl.’, ‘To cook the chilla:’, ‘Heat a frying pan and, once it is very hot, pour a serving-spoonful of the batter into the pan and spread it into a 13–15-cm (5–6-inch) circle. Top with 1 tablespoon of the topping mixture and drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil around the edges of the batter. Cook over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, until golden brown on the underside, then turn the chilla over and cook for a further 2 minutes, until golden brown on both sides. Repeat to make 15 more.’, ‘Serve hot with the chutney ?of your choice.’, ‘Recipe courtesy of CHAI, CHAAT & CHUTNEY by Chetna Makan.’, ‘Get the book here:’, ‘https://www.amazon.com/Chai-Chaat-Chutney-journey-through/dp/1784722871/.’]