Chhatisgadh-style Chila is slightly different from North Indian besan chilla. It usually uses rice batter, sometimes mixed with urad dal, curd, or gram flour, depending on the region or occasion.
🔸 Version 1: Traditional Rice Chila (Authentic Chhattisgarhi Style)
🥣 Ingredients:
- Rice (preferably small-grain, soaked) – 1 cup
- Curd (optional, for slight fermentation) – 2–3 tbsp
- Water – as needed
- Salt – to taste
- Oil or ghee – for cooking
🌿 Optional Add-ins:
- Chopped onions
- Green chilies
- Garlic (crushed)
- Fresh coriander
- Jeera (cumin)
👨🍳 Method:
- Soak the rice for at least 4–5 hours or overnight.
- Grind it into a smooth batter, using minimal water. You can add curd while grinding for flavor and light fermentation.
- Let the batter rest for 30–60 minutes (optional, but enhances texture).
- Add salt and any optional ingredients (onions, garlic, etc.).
- Heat a tawa (griddle) and grease it.
- Pour a ladle of batter and spread like a dosa — slightly thick.
- Drizzle a little oil or ghee around the edges.
- Cook both sides until golden brown and crisp at the edges.
- Serve hot with green chutney, tamarind chutney, or tomato chutney.
🔸 Version 2: Chana Dal + Rice Chila
This version is more filling and often eaten for breakfast or lunch.
🥣 Ingredients:
- Rice – 1 cup (soaked)
- Chana dal – 1/2 cup (soaked)
- Garlic – 4–5 cloves
- Green chilies – 2
- Salt – to taste
- Cumin – 1/2 tsp
- Onion & coriander – optional
👨🍳 Method:
- Soak rice and chana dal together for 5–6 hours.
- Grind to a thick batter with garlic and green chilies.
- Add salt, cumin, and optionally onions/coriander.
- Cook like dosa or thick pancakes on a tawa with oil or ghee.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions:
- Serve with thethri chutney (a tomato-garlic chutney popular in Chhattisgarh)
- Coriander or mint chutney
- Plain curd or buttermilk
🌶️ Thethri Chutney (छत्तीसगढ़ी ठेठरी चटनी)
🔸 Ingredients:
Tomatoes – 3 medium, ripe
Garlic cloves – 8–10
Dry red chilies – 4–5 (adjust to spice preference)
Salt – to taste
Mustard oil – 2 tbsp (authentic and flavorful)
Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves – a few sprigs (optional)
🔥 Optional Ingredients (regional tweaks):
Tamarind pulp – 1 tsp (for extra tanginess)
Onion – 1 small (if you like a little sweetness)
A pinch of jaggery – to balance flavors (optional)
👨🍳 Traditional Method (Mortar & Pestle or Silbatta):
Roast the tomatoes directly over flame (or in a pan) until charred and soft. Peel off the skin.
Dry-roast the red chilies for 30 seconds to release aroma.
Using a silbatta (grinding stone) or mortar and pestle, pound garlic and red chilies into a coarse paste.
Add the roasted tomato pulp, salt, and cumin. Pound everything together to make a rough chutney.
Heat mustard oil until it smokes slightly, let it cool slightly, then mix into the chutney.
Garnish with fresh coriander if desired.
⚡ Mixer Method (Quick Modern Style):
Blend roasted tomatoes, garlic, red chilies, salt, and cumin coarsely.
Heat mustard oil till smoking, and pour it into the chutney.
Stir and let it rest for 10–15 minutes to develop flavor.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions:
Serve with Chila, Bhaat, Litti, Roti, or Bara (vada).
Can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature.
Stores in the fridge for 2–3 days.: “Easy 3-Step Chhattisgarhi Chila Recipe | Make This Irresistibly Tasty & Traditional Snack at Home”
🌾 Chhattisgarhi Chila – FAQ
🔸 1. What is Chhattisgarhi Chila?
Chila is a traditional savory rice-based pancake from Chhattisgarh, made with a batter of soaked rice (and sometimes dal), lightly spiced, and cooked on a tawa. It’s different from the North Indian besan chilla and has a rustic, earthy flavor.
🔸 2. What kind of rice should I use?
Use regular white rice, ideally short-grain or medium-grain rice like lokwan or sita bhog. Avoid sticky or aromatic rice like basmati for traditional texture.
🔸 3. Can I ferment the chila batter?
Traditional Chhattisgarhi chila is lightly fermented or not fermented at all.
However, for a spongier version, you can:
- Add curd to the batter and rest for 2–3 hours.
- Or keep it overnight for slight sourness.
🔸 4. Can I use rice flour instead of soaking and grinding rice?
Yes, for a quick version:
- Mix rice flour with water and a bit of curd to make a smooth batter.
- Texture and flavor will differ slightly from soaked rice version.
🔸 5. What are some variations of Chhattisgarhi Chila?
- Chana dal chila – soaked chana dal with rice, for extra protein
- Methi chila – add fresh fenugreek leaves
- Garlic-onion chila – most common spicy version
- Sweet chila – add jaggery and coconut (served as a dessert/snack)
🔸 6. Why is my chila sticking to the tawa?
Common causes:
- Tawa not hot enough
- Too little oil or ghee
- Tawa is too smooth (non-stick tawas often stick for rice batters)
- Batter is too runny
✅ Use a cast iron tawa, heat it properly, and grease well.
🔸 7. Is Chila gluten-free and vegan?
✅ Yes, it’s naturally:
- Gluten-free (made from rice or dal)
- Vegan if made without curd or with plant-based curd
🔸 8. What to serve with Chhattisgarhi Chila?
Traditionally served with:
- Thethri chutney (spicy tomato-garlic chutney)
- Coconut chutney
- Green chutney
- Plain curd or buttermilk
🔸 9. Can I store leftover batter?
Yes:
- Store batter in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Stir well before using again.
- You may need to add a little water as it thickens.
🔸 10. How is Chhattisgarhi Chila different from Dosa or North Indian Chilla?
- Uses rice instead of besan (gram flour)
- Can be fermented lightly or made instantly
- Texture is more rustic and hearty, not paper-thin like dosa
- Served with regional chutneys like Thethri chutney, not sambhar
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