Cheap One-Pan Chickpea Flour Pancakes with Chutney
Mix 5 pantry ingredients, pour into a hot pan, done. Dinner is a pancake tonight.
It's a tired Tuesday and you have nothing obvious in the fridge. Grab that bag of chickpea flour sitting in the back of your pantry — this is its moment. These savory pancakes (known as besan chilla in India or socca in France) come together with water and a few spices, cook in a single skillet in minutes, and cost almost nothing. They're crispy on the edges, tender in the middle, and genuinely satisfying. Serve them with store-bought chutney or a quick yogurt dip. No fancy technique needed, no cleanup spiral. Just dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpea flour (besan) — also sold as gram flour
- 0.75 cup water — plus more if batter feels too thick
- 0.5 tsp cumin
- 0.5 tsp turmeric
- 0.5 tsp kosher salt
- 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes — optional, for heat
- 0.25 cup white or yellow onion — finely diced
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro — roughly chopped; skip if you hate cilantro
- 2 tbsp neutral oil — vegetable or canola oil, divided
- 3 tbsp store-bought green chutney or mango chutney — for serving; jarred is fine
Method
- 1 In a medium bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, water, cumin, turmeric, salt, and red pepper flakes until you have a smooth, lump-free batter about the consistency of thin pancake batter. Add another tablespoon of water if it feels stiff.
- 2 Stir in the diced onion and cilantro.
- 3 Let the batter rest for 5 minutes while you heat a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- 4 Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet and swirl to coat. When the oil shimmers, pour in half the batter (about 1/2 cup) and immediately tilt the pan to spread it into a thin, even round about 7–8 inches across.
- 5 Cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until the edges look dry and the bottom is deep golden brown. Flip carefully with a wide spatula and cook another 2–3 minutes until the second side is golden and the center is set.
- 6 Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining tablespoon of oil and the rest of the batter.
- 7 Serve immediately with chutney on the side for dipping or spooning over the top.
Variations
- Add Vegetables — Stir 2–3 tablespoons of finely grated zucchini or shredded spinach into the batter before cooking to sneak in extra vegetables at no real cost.
- No Chutney? Use Yogurt Dip — Mix plain yogurt with a pinch of cumin and a squeeze of lemon juice for an easy dipping sauce that takes 30 seconds to make.
- Thicker, Fluffier Version — Reduce water to 1/2 cup and add 1/4 tsp baking powder to the batter for a puffier, more pancake-like texture — cooks the same way, just needs a lower heat.
Notes
The batter should be thin enough to spread easily — thinner than American pancakes but thicker than crepe batter. If your first pancake tears when you flip, let the second one cook a full 4 minutes before attempting the flip. Cast iron gives the crispiest edges but a non-stick pan is more forgiving. These do not hold well; eat them hot and fresh straight from the pan.
Equipment that helps
- Large non-stick or cast iron skillet — A flat, wide surface with good heat retention lets you spread the batter thin and get crispy edges without the pancake sticking or tearing.
- Wide flexible spatula — A large spatula that gets fully under the pancake makes flipping a thin, fragile pancake much less stressful.
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