Chickpea Flour Pancakes (Cheela) with Paneer Cheese Pickle

I love making chickpea pancakes since they're so easy make and so nutritious. It's also easy to make them savory and if you add some paneer cheese to it, you've got a protein rich meal right there. This meal boasts almost 20 grams of protein per serving and that's no mean feat since a 4 oz serving of chicken breast is just about that.

The paneer pickle is a brilliant way to use up all those random jars of pickles you have lying around. Every time I visit India or my parents visit me from India, I get at least one new jar of pickle and since I don't cook or eat Indian food very often, they start to accumulate in my fridge. Crispy paneer with soft chewy pancake and some fresh herbs & tomatoes is a perfect light summer lunch. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Fresh India by Meera Sodha
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup chickpea flour (~100 gms)
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 cup water
3 tbsp oil, divided use
10 oz paneer, cut into 1/4" cubes
3 tbsp chopped lemon pickle, homemade or store bought
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup dill sprigs
1 large tomato, cut into thin wedges

Procedure: 
Whisk chickpea flour, garam masala, turmeric, 1/2 tsp sea salt and baking powder. Add 1 cup water and whisk till no lumps remain. Set aside for 20 mints while you prep the paneer. Heat a 10" non stick pan on medium high heat and add 1 tbsp oil. Add paneer cubes and sauce stirring occasionally until brown and crisp all over, about 4 minutes. You might need to reduce heat to medium if it's growing too much. Also, this spatters a lot, so make sure to wear an apron. Add the chopped pickle and salt and mix through. Remove from heat and into a bowl. Wipe the pan clean with paper towels. Whisk in the chopped cilantro into the chickpea mixture once the resting time is done and heat the same non stick pan on medium till hot. Add 1/2 tbsp oil and about a heaping 1/3 cup chickpea mixture and spread it around. Cook for 2 minutes and then flip and cook for 2 more minutes Repeat three more times till the batter is done and you have four large pancakes. Alternately, you can use a 6" pan and cook half the 1/3 cup batter and make two smaller pancakes. I did both :)
Divide the paneer mixture on each pancake and top it with dill sprigs and tomato slices. Serve and enjoy!