How To Make Restaurant-Style

Paneer Chilla

At Home

Preparing the Batter

In a medium or large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients—besan, turmeric powder, red chili powder, carom seeds, salt, chopped onion, tomatoes, green chilies, and coriander leaves. Next, gradually add water and whisk to create a semi-thick, pancake-like batter, similar to dosa or pakora batter. 

Preparing the Filling

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients of the filling. If you don’t want to grate the paneer, you can simply crumble it or even dice it into small cubes. To further elevate the flavor, top the mixture with a little chaat masala. 

Cook, Assemble & Serve

To cook the chilla, start by preparing the crepe. Once it’s cooked through, add the filling (on either one half of the chilla or evenly sprinkled across the whole) and then gently fold it before serving. All it takes is seven simple steps: 

Start by making the crepe

• Keep a non-stick pan or tawa over medium heat. 
• Pour a ladleful of batter onto the hot pan and spread it evenly to form a this circle. 
• Drizzle some oil or ghee around the edges and in the center. 
• Cook until the bottom is golden brown and the base is cooked through. 

Add the filling and fold

• Sprinkle the paneer filling over one half of the cooked chilla. Alternatively, you can sprinkle grated paneer, onion, and coriander over the entire chilla before folding. 
• Fold the chilla in half. 
• Cook for another minute until heated through. 

You can serve the chilla with tomato ketchup, mint chutney, honey-mustard, or any other sauce that may prefer. Iced coffee, masala chai, or milkshake are common accompaniments to the meal. 

If you’re having this breakfast option for dinner or an early supper, swap the coffee for a cool iced tea. 

Common Mistakes To Avoid

The paneer chilla is not a difficult recipe, but it’s easy to get it wrong. Look out for these common mistakes so that the final result is a protein-packed plate, and not a scrambled mess: 

• Batter consistency: The first step of cooking a paneer chilla can also make or break the dish, because you can’t fix it when cooking. Ensure the batter is neither too thick nor too thin. A thick batter will result in a lumpy, dense chilla, while a very thin batter will break when spreading on the pan. 
• Underheated or Overheated Pan: Make sure the pan is not cold to the touch when pouring the batter. Ideally, let the tawa heat for 30-60 seconds. Pouring batter onto a cold pan will cause the chilla to stick and tear when you try to flip it. Keep the flame on medium heat throughout. A higher flame will not result in a shorter cook time but may cause the chilla to cook too quickly and/or stick to the pan. 
• Overcooked Paneer: Don’t cook the chilla for too long after adding the paneer. The paneer filling is meant to stay raw; it’s not a cooked filling. Thus, after adding the filling, only cook the chilla till it’s heated through. Overcooking the paneer will make it tough and chewy. This is especially important if you decide to use a paneer sabzi (like paneer bhurji) for the filling instead of just raw paneer mixture. 
• Uneven Filling: Moderation is key when adding the filling. Too little, and some bites will be bland or empty. Too much, and the filling might spill out when folding, or even cause the chilla to break in half when transferring from the pan to the plate. 

Let The Paneer Chill

Paneer and chilla come together like vanilla ice-cream and chocolate brownies - they’re great on their own, but the union is a dish you keep going back to, time after time. Follow handy tips, avoid common mistakes, and make this restaurant-style paneer chilla from the comfort of your own kitchen.