Also known as poora in Punjab, chilla is a shallow-fried crepe that is usually made with gram flour or besan. The yummy and delightful treat is often eaten for breakfast with a side of chutneys and sauces. While some people prefer their chilla plain and simple, with only a few spices mixed into the batter, other breakfast enthusiasts enjoy their chilla loaded with various flavours. For instance, you’ll find a crispy crepe filled with chopped onions, coriander leaves, tomatoes, and much more.
And if you’ve gotten bored with the regular chilla, here are ways to change things up a bit. Add these delectable fillings to your next chilla to enhance the flavour.
1. Cabbage Peas Chilla
How can you make a simple crepe hearty and delicious during the winter? By integrating seasonal vegetables into your chilla, you can make the most of them. This includes green peas and cabbage. Shred the cabbage and grind the boiled peas into a paste. Add this to your chilla batter, along with besan. Mix thoroughly and pour into a hot pan to cook on both sides. Enjoy this green chilla for breakfast.
2. Aloo Chilla
Raise your hand if you enjoy eating potatoes. The potatoes in this chilla are grated before being added to the batter. The chilla batter is semi-thick and made by adding coriander leaves, green chilies, and other spices. This is then placed in a pan to be properly cooked. Remove it and serve it once it has turned golden brown and crisp on the edges. Enjoy while it is hot.
3. Spinach Chilla
With the addition of spinach, you can make an interesting and healthy variation of chilla. The spinach leaves are blanched before being mixed into the besan batter. The chilla is cooked after being flipped on both sides. The spinach gives the crepe a greenish hue and an earthy flavour. This is then accompanied by tomato ketchup and other condiments.
4. Stuffed Paneer Chilla
The soft and mushy paneer cubes must be thoroughly scrambled before being added to the chilla. Ajwain, red chilli powder, and salt flavour the paneer. When the besan chilla is done, add the paneer mixture and wrap it up. The chilla takes on a parcel-like shape and can be eaten as a wrap with mint-coriander chutney.
5. Cheesy Chilla
This cheesy chilla is a hit with both kids and adults, and it's a real treat for the taste buds. The besan chilla is properly cooked on the pan before being filled with grated cheese. The chilla is tossed in the pan once more to allow the cheese to melt properly. This recipe is worth a try because of the cheese pull, and it can also serve as an evening snack.