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Chilre
चिलड़े: thin buckwheat pancakes from Shimla and Kinnaur, eaten with chutney or honey
In the upper hills around Shimla and through Kinnaur, buckwheat (kuttu or ogla) grows where wheat struggles, and chilre are its everyday form: thin, lacy pancakes poured on a hot griddle for breakfast or a late-afternoon snack. They are eaten with a sharp mint-and-walnut chutney, or sweet with honey, and are naturally gluten free when made with pure buckwheat. The common mistake is making the batter too thick, so the chilre come out stodgy; it should pour like single cream. Chef's tip: let the batter rest 15 minutes so the buckwheat swells, and wipe the pan with an oiled cloth rather than pouring oil, for even, lacy pancakes.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the batter
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 green chillifinely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 tbsp sunflower or mustard oil
To serve
- 4 tbsp mint chutney (optional)
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Fresh ingredients (3)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Whisk 7 oz gluten-free buckwheat flour (kuttu), ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp cumin seeds, 1 green chilli and 2 tbsp fresh coriander with 1 ½ cups water into a smooth, pourable batter. Rest 15 minutes, then thin with a splash of water if it has thickened.
15 minStep 2: Heat a tawa or non-stick pan over medium heat and wipe with a little 2 tbsp sunflower or mustard oil on folded kitchen paper.
2 minStep 3: Pour a ladle of batter in the centre and swirl quickly into a thin round. Cook 1½–2 minutes until the edges lift and the top looks dry.
2 minStep 4: Flip and cook 1 minute more until speckled brown. Repeat, oiling the pan each time.
14 minStep 5: Serve hot, folded, with 4 tbsp mint chutney (or a drizzle of honey if you are not vegan).
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chilre take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
- What can I use instead of green chilli?
- A pinch of chilli flakes per chilli.
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