Looking to learn how to make the best homemade Indian crepes, also known as Pudla?
We’ve traveled throughout India and love to recreate our favourite dishes at home. Popular Indian street foods like Pudla are a quick and affordable dinner idea. It’s a great dish to serve to kids as Indian crepes are fun to eat with your hands.
Our recipe for Indian crepes is meant to be served sizzling right out of the pan when it’s crunchy and crispy. It’s the perfect family breakfast for those craving an easy and authentic vegan or vegetarian Indian brunch.
This recipe for Indian chickpea crepes is vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, nut free and dairy free.
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Travel to India by Cooking Pudla at Home
I love traveling through Asia. My first visit to Asia had me living in South Korea for a year as a teacher and it’s where I was first introduced to fermented vegetables like kimchi.
After my contract ended in Seoul I travelled throughout Asia for 6 months, visiting the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, The Maldives and India.
I spent over a month traveling through India. I started in the capital, eating my way through the bustling markets and fine dining restaurants in Delhi. I then embarked on a magical weekend getaway to awe-inspiring Taj Mahal in Agra. In India’s north you’ll find plenty of barbecue and wheat based side dishes like scorched naan bread.
For the second half of my Indian adventure I explored the southern state of Kerala. The south is famous for its seafood, coconut, tropical fruits and rice based side dishes like crispy dosa. The colonial capital of Cochin was formerly run by the Portuguese. It’s also one of the only places in India you can find beef on a menu.
My India trip came to a close in the Bollywood capital, bustling and cosmopolitan Mumbai. The city is famous for its specialty street foods and fine dining restaurants at opulent luxury hotels. The Taj Mahal Palace in particular serves one of the world’s most famous Afternoon Teas.
What I found most fascinating is India’s distinct regional food cultures. Much like the regional cuisines found in France, Germany, Italy or Spain, each city in India had its own local speciality.
Where To Eat Indian Crepes
If you live in a large city in Canada or America you’ll likely have access to a local Indian restaurants that serve traditional Pudla.
Haven’t traveled to India before? It may be helpful to first sample vegetarian chickpea pancakes at a local Indian restaurant to better understand how the dish is served. You can also assess the thickness of the Indian crepes and sample the correct texture before trying to make them at home from scratch.
In Toronto, popular Indian restaurants that may serve Pudla include Udupi Palace, Lahore Tikka House and Kothur Indian Cuisine.
What Are Indian Crepes?
Pudla, Chilla or Cheela refer to a simple Indian breakfast pancake. They are famous in the state of Gujarat, located on India’s west coast. You’ll find the popular Indian crepes sold on the street’s of Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Rajkot.
These vegan Indian crepes are made with chickpea flour (also known as gram or besan), fragrant spices, spicy green peppers, fresh ginger and cilantro. We’ve added a dab of coconut cream to create a mouth-watering and rich Indian pancake.
Our recipe for Indian crepes is vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, nut free and dairy free.
What To Eat With Indian Crepes?
Pudla are typically served in the morning for breakfast in Northern India. You can enjoy them on their own as a salty and crunchy snack, or dip them in sweet chutney, creamy yogurt or fresh cilantro.
If you want to prepare a more substantial vegetarian and vegan meal sauté seasonal vegetables such as spinach, sweet peas or pumpkin. A perfectly poached or fried egg adds ample protein if you’re looking to kick start a healthy day.
If you’re rushed for time, we suggest buying Chickpea Dahl and Lentil Dahl by The Spice Tailor. The vegetarian dahls can be made in under 5 minutes. Open the box and you’ll find three satchels featuring dried Indian spices, base sauce and masala filled with already cooked chickpeas and lentils. Cook this dahl duo for a last minute dinner and simply tear your Indian crepes and dunk them into the fragrant vegetarian curries.
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Tips for Homemade Indian Crepes
Ready to cook our homemade Indian Crepes? We suggest reading the recipe directions in detail to ensure you understand the step by step process. Once you heat up the pan you have to move quickly as each step only takes a few moments.
Before you even start cooking the crepes we suggest setting your dining table with small bowls filled with creamy yogurt, sweet chutney, fresh coriander and steaming chickpea and lentil dahl.
If you are serving a large group, we suggest heating your oven to 250F and keeping the finished crepes warm on a baking sheet until ready to serve.
The total time to make each Indian crepe is less than 5 minutes. This recipe makes 6 large sized Pudla. If you have a smaller non-stick pan you can likely make 8 Indian crepes with the vegan ingredients in this recipe.
Be sure to use a soup spoon ladle to pour the batter gently into the sizzling pan. Use ghee, butter or a neutral vegetable oil such as canola depending on your dietary preferences. The most common problem with these pancakes is that they can often stick to the pan. We suggest using a non-stick pan or crepe pan to ensure the Pudla cook evenly without tearing.
How To Make Authentic Pudla
- In a large bowl mix chickpea flour, chopped chili and cilantro, minced ginger and spices until well combined.
- Add water and coconut cream, stirring until you have achieved a desired crepe batter consistently. You can add a little more water to thin out the batter, or add additional gram flour to thicken it to your liking.
- Place non-stick pan or crepe pan on stove over medium high heat.
- When the skillet is hot, drizzle a few drops of oil or ghee and spread it with a paper towel.
- Pour a ladle full (approximately 1/3 cup) of the batter onto the pan. Spread the batter by moving the skillet to make a 6 to 8-inch pancake.
- Drizzle a few drops of oil or ghee on the edges of the pancake to make them crispy and crunchy.
- Cook until the edges of the Indian crepes start to peel away from the pan and the bottom is golden brown, around 5 minutes.
- Flip and cook crepes for 2 to 4 additional minutes so they are well browned on each side.
- Serve hot with creamy yogurt, sweet chutney, fresh cilantro and your favourite vegetarian masala or dahl.
Best Indian Crepes Recipe
Pudla Indian Chickpea Crepes
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- whisk
- Ladle
- Non-stick pan
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups chickpea flour
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup coconut cream
- 1 hot green chili
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1 inch fresh ginger
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, place the chickpea flour, salt, chilli powder, garlic salt, turmeric and cumin seeds.
- Thinly slice the chili and cilantro. Grate in the ginger. Mix in the water and coconut cream removing any lumps that may have formed. When you have a smooth mixture, leave it to sit for up to 2 hours.
- When you’re ready to eat, get a tawa, crepe pan or non-stick frying pan and place over very high heat. Add a drizzle of oil then reduce the heat to medium high.
- Using a ladle, spoon one helping of the batter into the centre of the pan, swirling it around gently with the handle to get it to spread as evenly as possible.
- Cook Indian Crepes for 10 seconds on one side, then flip it over with a spatula and cook on the other.
- The key is to drizzle oil on the edges of the pan before you cook the next Pudla. Once each crepe is finished cooking let them rest on a dish towel until ready to eat.
Nutrition
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