Rohan Bhargava sees cooking as a love expression. “I learned this from my fiancé, because his love expression is cooking for someone else,” says the New York-based founder and artistic director of Lovaco Dance Company. Bhargava’s fiancé, Shivam, is credited with reintroducing him to a childhood favorite, besan ka cheela, savory chickpea flour pancakes. “It was a breakfast I ate a lot growing up in New Delhi, India,” Bhargava says of cheela, which is also vegan and gluten-free. “I thought it was going to be a lot of work, but it’s really quick and easy to make.” Cheela is usually eaten with green chutney, but Bhargava also likes to have it with ketchup. “This is an unpopular opinion that a lot of people scorn,” he jokes.
In Indian culture, cooking is deeply linked to hospitality, and Bhargava strives to share that tradition with his Lovaco audience. “For a long time, I was scared to proudly assert my identity, and that has a lot to do with growing up in post-colonial India, where the idea that Western culture is superior was ingrained in people’s brains,” he says. “Now, I try to leave that tendency behind and let aspects of my culture and identity reflect in my work.”
For the past few years, he’s been hosting Lovaco Dance Parties, where attendees are immersed in a multi-sensory experience that includes Indian food and drinks. Bhargava hosts the event, while dancer Ashmita Biswas handles the cooking, finding new ways each year to put her own twist on Indian street food delicacies, drawing on influences from her native Kolkata and her Bengali upbringing. “I feel culture is best understood by experiencing it first-hand, not just admiring it from afar,” Bhargava says. “I invite people to experience its beauty.”
Bangla Bop
Bhargava likes listening to upbeat music while she cooks and recently started learning bhangra, a traditional Punjabi dance, and has become drawn to Punjabi music, especially songs by Diljit Dosanjh, Garry Sandhu and Jasmine Sandras.
This recipe makes 8-10 pancakes.
material
- 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 small plum tomato, finely chopped
- 2 cups besan flour (The Hindi word “besan” translates to gram flour or chickpea flour. You can find besan at Indian or specialty food stores, or on sites like Amazon.)
- 2 tablespoons red chili powder (red chili powder tends to be hotter than chili powder and is common in Indian cooking. If you can’t get it, Bhargava suggests substituting 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh green chilies.)
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 1 tablespoon crushed kasoori methi/dried fenugreek leaves (“This comes in a box that will last forever,” says Bhargava. If you can’t find it, you can substitute with 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander.)
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups water (the exact amount depends on the consistency you want, says Bhargava).
- Vegetable oil or cooking spray for frying pan
- Chutney, hot sauce, or ketchup
Instructions
- Chop half a small red onion and half a small plum tomato and set aside.
- Mix the besan flour, red chilli powder (or green chillies), salt and fenugreek leaves (or coriander) in a large bowl.
- Add 1 1/2 cups water, or more if you prefer a thinner consistency, and beat vigorously until the batter is smooth, bubbly and free of lumps.
- Add the chopped onion and tomatoes and stir to combine well.
- Place a frying pan over medium heat and coat well with oil or cooking spray. Once the pan is hot, add a ladleful of batter to the center. Use the back of the ladle to spread the batter evenly over the entire pan until it is a thin layer.
- Once the batter has set, usually after 90 seconds to 2 minutes, and the edge has released from the pan, use a spatula to flip the pancake over. Cook the other side for about 90 seconds, pressing occasionally with the spatula to ensure the cheese is cooked evenly all over.
- Remove the cheera from the pan and serve while hot (it can get dry if it cools, adds Bhargava). Serve with condiments like chutney, hot sauce, or ketchup.
