Healthy Daliya Vegetable Pancakes (Cheela)

Step 1: Prepare Vegetables

Finely chop 1 capsicum and 1 tomato (after removing its seeds). Also, finely chop 1-2 green chilies.

Step 2: Soak Daliya

Take 1 bowl of dalia (broken wheat). Wash it thoroughly 2-3 times with water. Then, add enough fresh water to submerge the dalia completely. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 15-20 minutes until the dalia becomes soft.

Step 3: Grind Daliya

Drain the water from the soaked dalia. Transfer the soft dalia to a grinding jar. Grind it first on pulse mode without adding water. Then, add 1-2 tablespoons of water and grind again to achieve a coarse paste. Ensure it's not too fine.

Step 4: Prepare Tempering

Heat 0.5 tsp of oil in a small pan. Add 1 tsp of mustard seeds and a few sprigs of curry leaves. Let them crackle until fragrant. Turn off the gas.

Step 5: Combine Ingredients

Pour the prepared tempering into the dalia batter. Add the finely chopped tomato, capsicum, green chilies, and salt to taste. Optionally, add 2-3 tablespoons of besan (gram flour).

Step 6: Mix Batter

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly until well combined. If the batter appears too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to adjust it to a pourable consistency.

Step 7: Add Eno and Lemon Juice (Optional)

If you want to make the pancakes instantly fluffy, add 0.5 tsp of Eno (fruit salt) to the batter. Pour 1 tbsp of lemon juice directly over the Eno to activate it. Mix gently until frothy.

Step 8: Cook Pancakes - First Side

Light the gas stove and place a small pan (like a tadka pan or a non-stick pan) on it. Lightly grease the pan with a little oil using a brush. Once the pan is hot, reduce the flame to low-medium. Pour one ladle of the dalia batter into the pan and spread it slightly to form a round pancake. Cover the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until the top surface of the pancake appears dry.

Step 9: Cook Pancakes - Second Side

Remove the lid. Brush a little oil around the edges of the pancake. Carefully flip the pancake to cook the other side. Increase the flame to medium. Cook the second side without covering, gently pressing with a spatula, until it turns golden brown and crispy.

Step 10: Serve

Once both sides are cooked to a golden brown and crispy texture, remove the pancake from the pan. Serve hot with curd, optionally sprinkled with cumin powder, red chili powder, and salt. You can also serve it with fried banana or any chutney of your choice.

• Finely chop all vegetables for a better texture and even cooking.

• If you need to make the pancakes instantly, use Eno; otherwise, resting the batter for a bit also helps with fluffiness.

• Adjust the amount of water while grinding the dalia to achieve a coarse, not too fine, paste.

• Cook the first side covered on low-medium heat, and the second side uncovered on medium heat for a crispy finish.

• Red or yellow capsicum can be used instead of green capsicum.

• Finely chopped onions can be added to the batter.

• The recipe can be made without adding besan (gram flour).

• Serve with various chutneys or sauces as per preference.