Garlic leaf ‘chilla’ with jaggery is all about the simple joys of life

I was recently reminiscing about my childhood vacations in Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh. I particularly remember when I was five years old and my grandmother asked me to pluck garlic leaves and green chillies from her garden. She used them to make a delicious batter with rice flour and salt, cooking fresh chillas (crepes) on a traditional chulha or clay oven in the courtyard. We all sat together and enjoyed them hot, focusing entirely on the happiness of being with family rather than the nutritional value of the food. It made me realise how much that simple joy and togetherness is something I truly cherish.

Garlic leaf chilla with jaggery

 Ingredients 

Rice flour - 250gm
Garlic leaves - 100gm
Green chillies - 3-4 nos.
Cumin seeds -1/2tb
Salt to taste

Method

Grind 100 g garlic leaves, 3-4 green chillies, and 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds into a smooth paste. Mix this paste with 250 g rice flour, add salt to taste and some water to make a thick batter. Heat a tawa, spread the batter in a circular motion to form a thin chilla, and cook on low to medium flame on both sides. Enjoy hot with a piece of jaggery for better taste. 

My Food Story is a collection of stories and recipes that celebrate India’s traditional plant-based ingredients sourced from local biodiversity. You can see these recipes on our interactive dashboard (https://www.cseindia.org/page/myfoodstory).

Swati Thakur is a content creator from Madhya Pradesh