7 Best Chila Recipes for Babies and Toddlers

Chilas or Dosas, whatever you like to call them have been superbly beneficial to me as finger food for my kiddo. I started with the basic moong dal (green gram) chila and meetha (sweet) wheat chila which worked so well that I went on to try over a dozen type of chilas, most of which Tania did enjoy.

Chilas can be packed with nutrition and are really quick and easy to make. You can keep playing around with the recipes to suit your baby’s taste buds.

Some of the chilas can be introduced as early as 8 months because they are soft enough for your child to gum and swallow. They are also amazing if you are following Baby Led Weaning (BLW) as it’s easy for babies to pick up small pieces of chilas.

Here are some my favorite and most nutritious chila recipes!!

Suji (Semolina) Potato Chila

(Can be introduced at 10 months of age)

Ingredients

• ½ Cup Suji (Semolina)
• 1 boiled and peeled potato
• ¼ cup coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp yogurt
• ½ cup water
• salt to taste (Avoid if baby is below 1 year of age)
• 2 tsp ghee

Method

1. Dry roast the suji in a pan on medium heat till the colour changes slightly. Let it cool.
2. Mash the potato completely and add it to the suji.
3. Add all the other ingredients other than the ghee. Adjust the water to a get a dropping consistency.
4. Heat a non-stick pan. Spread ½ the chila batter and drizzle ½ the ghee.
5. When brown on one side, flip over and cook the other side.
6. Serve immediately. You can serve it with a yogurt dip.

Spring Onion and Cheese Chila

(To be introduced post 1 year of age)

Ingredients

• ½ tbsp wheat flour
• ½ tbsp. besan (bengal gram flour)
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp red chilli powder -optional
• 50gms shredded cheese
• ¼ cup shredded green onions along with the greens
• 2 tsp butter
• salt to taste

Method

1. Mix the wheat flour, besan, turmeric, chilli powder and salt in a bowl.
2. Add water to get a thick dropping consistency. Stir well to ensure that there are no lumps
3. In another bowl mix the cheese and green onions
4. Heat a non-stick pan. Spread ½ the chila batter and drizzle ½ the butter.
5. Sprinkle half the cheese mix all over the chila.
6. Cover with a lid and cook till the cheese melts and the chila in cooked. We do not have to turn the chila so let it cook slowly and properly. Serve hot.

Mixed Moong Dal Chila

(Can be introduced as early as 8 months of age)

Ingredients

• ¼ cup green split moong dal (split green gram)
• ½ tbsp yellow moong dal (split yellow gram)
• ¼ tsp jeera (cumin)
• salt to taste (Avoid if baby is below 1 year of age)
• 2 tsp ghee

Method

1. Wash and soak the dals in water for 3 hours.
2. Drain out the water and grind in a blender till smooth. Add a little water to get a dropping consistency.
3. Add jeera and salt.
4. Heat a non-stick pan. Spread ½ the chila batter and drizzle ½ the ghee.
5. When brownish on one side, flip over and cook the other side.
6. Serve immediately.

Meetha (Sweet) Chila

(Can be introduced as early as 8 months of age)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp wheat flour
• 2 tsp powdered organic jaggery
• 2 tsp ghee

Method

1. Mix the wheat flour and jaggery powder in a bowl.
2. Add water to get a thick dropping consistency. Stir well to ensure that there are no lumps.
3. Heat a non-stick pan. Spread ½ the chila batter and drizzle ½ the ghee.
4. When brownish on one side, flip over and cook the other side.
5. Serve immediately. This is an awesome breakfast dish too. If your child is above 1 year, you can drizzle some honey on it as well.

Corn Oats Chila

(Can be introduced at 1 year of age)

Ingredients

• ½ cup instant oats
• ¼ cup boiled yellow corn
• ¼ cup coriander leaves
• 1/2 tomato finely chopped
• 1 tbsp yogurt
• ½ cup water
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp ghee

Method

1. In a blender, grind oats to a fine powder.
2. Add the corn and blend again for just a couple of seconds so that the corn is slightly crushed
3. Transfer into a bowl, add coriander leaves, yogurt, tomatoes salt and water to bring to a dropping consistency.
4. Heat a non-stick pan. Spread ½ the chila batter and drizzle ½ the ghee.
5. When brown on one side, flip over and cook the other side.
6. Serve immediately. You can serve it with a cheese dip.

Palak Paneer Chila

(Can be introduced at 11 months of age)

Ingredients

• 1-cup spinach leaves chopped
• 1 tbsp besan (gram flour)
• ½ cup wheat flour
• ¼ tsp garlic paste
• 50gm grated paneer
• ¼ tsp chaat masala
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp ghee

Method

1. Heat ¼ cup water in a pan and add the spinach. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Let it cool.
2. Grind the spinach to a smooth puree.
3. In a bowl, add spinach, wheat flour, gram flour, garlic paste and salt to taste.
4. Adjust the water to get a dropping consistency.
5. In another bowl mix the paneer, chaat masala and ¼ tsp salt.
6. Heat a non-stick pan. Spread ½ the chila batter and drizzle ½ the ghee.
7. Sprinkle half the paneer mix all over the chila.
8. Cover with a lid and cook till the chila is well cooked. We do not have to turn the chila so let it cook slowly and properly.
9. Serve hot.

Vegetable Raagi Chila

(Can be introduced at 11 months of age)

Ingredients

• ½ cup raagi flour
• ½ cup suji (semolina)
• 1 tbsp yogurt
• ½ tsp ginger-garlic paste
• ¼ tsp asafetida
• 1 tbsp shredded carrots
• 1 finely chopped tomato
• 1 tbsp boiled peas
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp ghee

Method

1. Mix the raagi flour, suji, curd and half cup of water and set aside for 30 minutes
2. Add all the vegetables, ginger-garlic paste, asafetida and salt and blend with a hand blender.
3. Heat a non-stick pan. Spread ½ the chila batter and drizzle ½ the ghee.
4. When brown on one side, flip over and cook the other side.
5. Serve immediately. Can be served with coconut chutney.

If you have any interesting chila recipes which your kids little ones like, please share the recipe in the comment box below!!