Healthy snack recipe: Iron-rich stuffed chila

Bored of the usual snacks? Try something new and exotic. Give a healthy twist to your daily snack with this stuffed chila. These delicious pancakes are uniquely Rajasthani. However, go for some improvisation to the traditional recipe by stuffing the chila with wholesome and flavourful sprouts mixture. This stuffing is pretty versatile, and can be used in other preparations such as a topping for sandwiches, rolled up in rotis, or simply taken on its own as a salad! These delightfully tasty chilas are loaded with vitamin A, iron and folic acid, which can work wonders for your skin as well as promote overall immunity. Treat yourself to this yummy snack right away!

Preparation Time: 15 minutes.

Cooking Time: 20 minutes. Makes 6 chilas.

For the mixed sprouts stuffing:

• 1 cup boiled mixed sprouts (red chana, chawli, moong, rajma etc.)
• 1 tsp butter
• tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1 tsp finely chopped green chillies
• cup finely chopped onions
• cup chopped tomatoes
• 2 tsp chaat masala
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)

For the chila batter:

• 1 cup besan (Bengal gram flour)
• A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
• 1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
• Salt to taste

Other ingredients:

1 tsp oil for greasing and cooking

For the mixed sprouts stuffing:

• Heat the butter in a broad non-stick pan and add the cumin seeds.
• When the cumin seeds crackle, add the green chillies and onions and saut on a medium flame for 1 minute.
• Add the tomatoes, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes.
• Add the mixed sprouts, chaat masala and salt, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes.
• Remove from the flame, add the coriander and mix well.
• Divide the stuffing into 6 equal portions and keep aside.

For the chila batter:

Combine all the ingredients in a deep bowl along with approx. 1 cups of water and mix well to make a thin batter of pouring consistency. Keep aside.

How to proceed:

• Heat a non-stick tava (griddle) and lightly grease it tsp of oil.
• Pour a ladleful of the batter on the tava (griddle) and spread it evenly to make a thin circle of 150 mm. (6") in diameter.
• Cook, using tsp of oil, till it turns golden brown in colour from both the sides.
• Place one portion of the stuffing on one half of the chila and fold it to make a semi-circle.
• Repeat steps 2 to 4 to make 5 more stuffed chilas.
• Serve immediately.

Video and image source: Tarla Dalal/YouTube (used for representational purpose only)