Tomato Omelette is a vegan and gluten-free option as a breakfast recipe.
Easy and fast to make these healthy pancakes are protein-rich too.
Tomatoes are rich in umami components lend a delicious flavour to this eggless gram flour dosa.
Tomato Omelette is very commonly called Besan ka Cheela in North India. This pancake is not restricted to any particular region in India and is available in most places especially Udupi Hotels.
With the lockdown, I am trying to utilise my pantry staples to make my food interesting without multiple trips to stores. During one of my trip, I picked up tomatoes generally I picked up some raw, some half-ripe and ripe. Here I had no choice all of them have started ripening even in the fridge. So using them up and redoing my older pictures.
Content
- So how is TomatoOmeletteVegan?
- Are there any other ways to make Tomato Omelette?
- How do I prepare gluten-free Besan Ke chilla ?
- What are the ingredients to make Tomato Omelettes?
- Method of making
- Here is the Recipe Card
- Variations
- Pin for Later
So how is Tomato Omelette Vegan?
Does the word omelette make you wonder how it can be vegan?
Basically, there is no egg in tomato omelette. Besan or chickpea flour and tomatoes are the main ingredients. The only animal product used in Indian homes is ghee. To make a dosa a mixture of ghee and oil is used to grease the pan. Avoid ghee!
Are there any other ways to make Tomato Omelette?
Long before the word Zero Waste was coined my mom many times to stretch the dosa batter, on the second day, added chickpea flour to make Tomato Omelettes. Adjust the consistency of the batter with water after you add the besan.
How do I prepare gluten-free Besan Ke chilla ?
You can make these chela gluten-free use rice flour in place of rava or sooji.
What are the ingredients to make Tomato Omelettes?
- Besan or Chickpea flour: Bengal Gram flour a gluten-free flour.
- Rice flour: Add to give the extra crispness.
- Rava: In case you do not have rice flour use rava or sooji. Only your Tomato Omelettes will not remain gluten-free.
- Water: Make a batter of pouring consistency with the flour.
- Onions and tomatoes: use finely chopped they add the flavour.
- Bell peppers, spinach: these are optional veggies that you can use. Chop them fine.
- Green chillies, coriander: Use green chillis as per your taste. I generally chop both the chillies and coriander fine.
- Salt, red chilli powder, hing and turmeric: are the spices that flavour this dosa.
- Oil: you will need oil to grease the skillet. Use something like sunflower, rice bran, vegetable oil I prefer to use a mix of homemade ghee and oil. But when you use ghee it will not be Vegan.
Method of making:
- In a bowl, mix well all the ingredients except water and oil.
- Add the salt, chilli powder, turmeric and add water sparingly. You can always add more if needed.
- Grease and heat a non-stick tawa pour a ladle of the batter. Drizzle oil.
- Cook on both sides.
- Serve hot with coconut chutney, sambar, pickle. I love it with homemade tomato sauce or tomato chutney.
Here is the Recipe Card:

Tomato Omelette
Equipment
- Bowl for mixing
- Spoons and Ladles
- Non-stick tava/skillet
Ingredients
- 1 cup besan/ chickpea flour
- ¼ cup rice flour roasted and cooled
- 2 medium onions finely chopped
- 3 medium tomatoes finely chopped
- 1 green chilli finely chopped
- 1-2 tablespoon dhania/ coriander Leaves finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon hing/asafoetida
- salt to Taste
- ¼ teaspoon haldi/turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoon red Chilli powder
- ½ cups water you may need upto 1 cup
- Oil to fry as needed
- ¼ cup bell peppers/capsicum optional , finely chopped
- ½ cup palak/spinach optional , finely chopped
Instructions
- Chop the onions, tomatoes, chillies, coriander fine. Chop the bell peppers and spinach if using fine. If you have food processor use it.
- In a mixing bowl, mix well the chopped ingredients, besan and rice flour, salt, chilli powder.
- Add ½ cup water and make a loose batter. Add more if needed.Your batter should be between dosa batter and neer dosa batter, not too loose and not too thick.
- Grease and heat a non-stick pan.
- When it is well heated, add the batter in circular motion. You cannot spread the batter much.
- Or add the batter in the centre then move it gently to the sides.
- Add a few drops of oil on the sides of the dosa. Cover and cook.
- You can flip the dosa only when it is well cooked else your dosa will break.
- Once you flip it, cook on the other side.
- Serve hot with tomato sauce or chutney of your choice.
Notes
- In case you are using rava/sooji let the batter sit for about 10 minutes before you start making the pancakes.
- Adjust the water after it sits. Remember, you can always add more water.
Sapana Behl says
I love this eggless omelette totally. Looks amazing.
Srivalli Jetti says
That looks so inviting Arch, I love these cheelas..
Kalyani says
oooh ! I love this 🙂 I add a dash of tomato sauce to the batter so its tangy as well ! totally inviting pics, Arch 🙂
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
The eggless omelette is a great breakfast option for non egg eaters. Loaded with protein and tasty too.
Srividhya Gopalakrishnan says
This is my all time favorite.Great alternative for non-egg eaters. Great share.
Priya Srinivasan says
This is a regular Breakfadt at home. I love to have them hot straight from the tava, tastes yummm!!
Harini Rupanagudi says
Besan chila is my personal favorite.
Priya says
Today only I cooked. I love this in breakfast or snack time.
Priya Suresh says
Just love this nutritious besan ka cheela with lemon pickle, its been a while i made them.
Vaishali says
Simple and quick , we love these Chillas , thanks for reminding , it had been long since I made them .
Chef Mireille says
I made cheela once before and a nice alternative to those who dont eat eggs