Chhattisgarh is called the rice bowl of India, and its kitchens turn rice into dozens of everyday dishes: fara, muthia, angakar roti, dehrori and chila. Chawal chila, the rice pancake, is the quickest of them, made for breakfast or as a light dinner in villages and towns across the state.
The batter can be made from soaked, ground rice or simply from rice flour mixed with water. It is spread thin on a hot iron tawa, where it sets into a soft pancake with crisp, lacy edges. Chopped onion, green chilli and coriander go into the batter, and it is eaten hot with a sharp tomato or dhaniya-mirchi chutney.
At a glance
| Region | Chhattisgarh |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Chhattisgarhi |
| Diet | Vegan |
| Course | Breakfast |
| Prep time | 15 minutes |
| Cook time | 20 minutes |
| Total time | 35 minutes |
| Serves | 3 |
| Spice level | Medium |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Gluten-free | Yes |
| Key ingredients | rice flour / onion / green chilli / coriander |
Ingredients
For the chila
- 1 1/2 cups rice flour (or 1 cup rice soaked 4 hours and ground)
- 1 1/2 cups water, approximately
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp grated ginger
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander
- 3/4 tsp salt
- Oil for cooking
For the tomato chutney
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 green chillies
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp coriander
- Salt to taste
Method
- For the chutney, roast the tomatoes, chillies and garlic directly over a flame or on a tawa until charred. Peel the tomatoes and crush everything with coriander and salt on a sil-batta or in a mortar.
- Whisk the rice flour with water into a smooth, pouring batter, thinner than dosa batter. Rest for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the onion, green chillies, ginger, cumin, coriander and salt.
- Heat an iron tawa on medium-high heat and grease it lightly with oil using a cut onion or a cloth.
- Stir the batter, pour a ladleful from the edges towards the centre, and tilt the tawa to spread it thin. Do not try to spread it with the ladle like a dosa.
- Drizzle oil around the edges and cook for 2 minutes until the edges turn crisp and the surface looks dry.
- Flip and cook another 1 minute. Serve hot with the tomato chutney.
Tips
- Rice flour settles to the bottom quickly; stir the batter before every chila.
- If the chila sticks, the tawa is not hot enough or needs better seasoning; non-stick pans also work.
- Add a spoon of curd to the batter for a slightly tangy, softer version.
Serve with
Roasted tomato chutney, or green chutney and tea.