💡 Quick Answer
One medium besan chilla (30 g besan, ½ teaspoon of oil and a little onion) has about 140 kcal and 7 g protein. Two medium chillas are about 285 kcal and 14 g protein. Stuffed with 25 g of grated paneer, one chilla is about 220 kcal and 11.6 g protein.
- Small chilla (20 g besan): about 105 kcal and 4.6 g protein. Large chilla (45 g besan): about 225 kcal and 10 g protein.
- The oil matters most: a chilla that soaks up 1 tablespoon of oil is about 250 kcal, not 140.
- Besan is 387 kcal and 22.4 g protein per 100 g (USDA), so each tablespoon (about 10 g) is 39 kcal and 2.2 g protein.
- Restaurant chillas are larger and oilier: treat 200-300 kcal each as an estimate.
Portion calculator
1 × besan chilla (medium) ≈ 6.8 g protein · 140 kcal
Scaled from the figures on this page. Brands and recipes vary.
Besan chilla is one of the best-known high-protein vegetarian breakfasts in India, and it deserves a precise number. The batter is simple, mostly besan (gram flour) and water, so the calories come down to how much besan goes into each chilla and how much oil it drinks on the tawa. Most online numbers skip both details. This page states them.
How These Numbers Were Calculated
A chilla has no single official value, so the figures here are calculated from a stated recipe. The reference is a medium chilla of about 15-18 cm across, made from 30 g of besan (about 3 tablespoons, mixed with water into a pourable batter), 10 g of chopped onion and spices in the batter, cooked with ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) of oil on a non-stick tawa. Small is 20 g besan and large is 45 g besan with 1 teaspoon of oil.
Base values per 100 g from USDA FoodData Central: chickpea flour (besan) 387 kcal, 22.4 g protein and 6.7 g fat; onion 40 kcal and 1.1 g protein; vegetable oil 884 kcal (44 kcal per 5 g teaspoon); ghee about 876 kcal. Paneer is taken as 18.9 g protein per 100 g (IFCT 2017) and about 305 kcal, typical of full-fat packaged paneer. Our protein in paneer guide uses the same protein figure. Water in the batter has no calories, so a thinner batter does not change the numbers; a bigger chilla does.
Calories in Besan Chilla: By Size
| Besan chilla (1 piece) | Recipe | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 20 g besan, ½ tsp oil, 10 g onion | ~105 kcal | ~4.6 g |
| Medium | 30 g besan, ½ tsp oil, 10 g onion | ~140 kcal | ~6.8 g |
| Large | 45 g besan, 1 tsp oil, 15 g onion | ~225 kcal | ~10.2 g |
| Medium, no oil (non-stick, dry) | 30 g besan, 10 g onion | ~120 kcal | ~6.8 g |
| Medium, 1 tsp oil | 30 g besan, 1 tsp oil, 10 g onion | ~165 kcal | ~6.8 g |
| Medium, 1 tbsp (15 g) oil | 30 g besan, 1 tbsp oil, 10 g onion | ~250 kcal | ~6.8 g |
| 2 medium chillas | 60 g besan, 1 tsp oil, 20 g onion | ~285 kcal | ~13.6 g |
Basis: USDA FoodData Central for besan, onion and oil; calculated for the stated recipe. Vegetables in the batter (tomato, coriander, capsicum) add very little and are not counted separately. Real chillas vary with batter thickness and how much oil the tawa takes.
Quick version: a medium besan chilla is about 140 kcal and 7 g protein; two are about 285 kcal and 14 g protein.
Besan Chilla With Paneer Stuffing
Stuffing with grated paneer is the easiest way to roughly double the protein in a chilla. Grated paneer (25 g) adds about 76 kcal and 4.7 g protein; 40 g adds about 122 kcal and 7.6 g.
| Medium paneer chilla (30 g besan, ½ tsp oil) | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Plain medium chilla for reference | ~140 kcal | ~6.8 g |
| + 25 g grated paneer | ~220 kcal | ~11.6 g |
| + 40 g grated paneer | ~265 kcal | ~14.4 g |
| + 25 g paneer, cooked in 1 tsp ghee instead of oil | ~240 kcal | ~11.6 g |
Two paneer-stuffed chillas with 25 g paneer each are therefore about 440 kcal and 23 g protein, which is close to a full protein-rich breakfast. If you use low-fat paneer, the calories drop and protein rises a little, but brands differ, so check the label.
Where the Calories Hide: Oil and Size
Besan itself is predictable. The two things that make a chilla go from 140 to 250 kcal are the cooking fat and the size.
- Oil: each teaspoon adds about 44 kcal. Besan soaks oil quickly, so a chilla cooked in "a good drizzle" often takes a full tablespoon, about 133 kcal. Use a brush or a spray and measure once to learn what your normal amount looks like.
- Size: a chilla made with 45 g of besan (roughly 4 to 5 tablespoons of flour) is much bigger than one made with 20 g. If you pour a whole katori of batter onto the tawa, you have made a large one.
- Chutney and sauce: a spoon of green chutney adds little, but sweet tamarind chutney or ketchup adds sugar and calories.
Besan Chilla vs Moong Dal Chilla
Moong dal chilla, made from soaked and ground dal, is the other popular version. Per 30 g of raw moong, the base is about 104 kcal and 7.2 g protein (USDA mung beans, raw), against 116 kcal and 6.7 g for 30 g of besan. They are close enough that you can choose on taste and digestion. See our protein in dal guide for how moong compares with other dals.
Restaurant and Street Chilla
These are estimates, not calculated values. A restaurant or street-stall besan chilla is usually bigger than a home one, cooked on a flat griddle with a generous pour of oil, and served with butter or a cheese filling in some places. A range of 200-300 kcal per chilla is realistic, with 6-10 g of protein, more if it is stuffed with paneer. Log at the higher end if you cannot see how it was made.
How Many Chillas Make a Meal?
Two medium chillas with a katori of curd (about 5 g protein and 90 kcal for 150 g, see protein in curd) come to about 375 kcal and 19 g protein. That is a solid breakfast for most adults. Add a third chilla or a paneer filling if you are training and want more. For other breakfast ideas with 20-35 g protein, see high protein Indian breakfast ideas, and compare other staples in the Indian food calories and protein chart.
If you want to fit chillas into a daily target, the protein calculator shows how much protein you need per day.
How to Make Besan Chilla Higher in Protein
Two medium chillas give about 14 g of protein, which is already better than most breakfasts. A filling or a side can double it. The figures below start from 2 medium besan chillas (about 285 kcal and 13.6 g protein).
| Type | Plate | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veg | 2 chillas stuffed with 25 g paneer each | ~440 kcal | ~23 g |
| Veg | 2 chillas + 150 g hung curd or nonfat Greek yogurt | ~375 kcal | ~29 g |
| Veg | 2 chillas + 150 g dahi | ~375 kcal | ~19 g |
| Non-veg | 2 chillas + 2 eggs | ~430 kcal | ~26 g |
| Non-veg | 2 chillas + 100 g cooked chicken breast | ~450 kcal | ~45 g |
If you are vegetarian: Grated paneer inside the chilla is the usual upgrade. Hung curd as a dip adds more protein for fewer calories than paneer does.
If you eat eggs or chicken: Whisk an egg into the batter for each chilla, or serve two eggs on the side. Shredded chicken works as a filling in the same way paneer does.
Add-in values use the figures in our guides to eggs, chicken breast, paneer, soya chunks, curd, chana and peanuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I make besan chilla higher in protein?
Add a filling or a side. Two medium chillas stuffed with 25 g of paneer each come to about 440 kcal and 23 g protein. With 150 g of hung curd or Greek yogurt they are about 375 kcal and 29 g, and with two eggs about 430 kcal and 26 g.
How many calories are in 1 besan chilla?
One medium besan chilla made from 30 g besan with half a teaspoon of oil has about 140 kcal and 7 g protein. A small one (20 g besan) is about 105 kcal and a large one (45 g besan) about 225 kcal.
How many calories are in 2 besan chillas?
Two medium besan chillas have about 285 kcal and 14 g protein in total. With 25 g of paneer stuffed in each, two chillas are about 440 kcal and 23 g protein.
How much protein is in 1 besan chilla?
About 7 g in a medium chilla made with 30 g of besan. A paneer-stuffed chilla with 25 g of paneer has about 11.6 g protein.
How many calories are in a paneer besan chilla?
A medium besan chilla stuffed with 25 g of grated paneer has about 220 kcal and 11.6 g protein. With 40 g of paneer it is about 265 kcal and 14.4 g protein.
How much oil does a besan chilla take, and what does it do to the calories?
A non-stick chilla needs only half a teaspoon (about 22 kcal). A chilla cooked with 1 tablespoon of oil has about 250 kcal, almost 110 kcal more than the same chilla made with half a teaspoon.
Sources: USDA FoodData Central for chickpea flour (besan), mung beans (raw), onion, vegetable oil and ghee; IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN) for paneer protein (18.9 g per 100 g), as used in our paneer guide; paneer energy (about 305 kcal per 100 g) is a typical value for full-fat packaged paneer. Chilla values are calculated from the stated home recipe and are estimates; restaurant calories are estimates only.
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