Tofu omelettes are definitely my culinary downfall. I’ve made the versions from Vegan Brunch about 5 times and only had success once. I’ve had complete fails with every other version I’ve ever tried, using lots of different pans which work well the rest of the time. Am I the only one with this peculiar affliction?
Anyway, I’m giving up even trying now because I’ve discovered these fabulous Indian omelettes, made only with chickpea flour, water and spices. I got the recipe from Madhur Jaffrey “World Vegetarian” but I know there are different versions and I think they’re called either chilla or pudla, depending on how thick they are – they’re also closely related to Provencale Socca, which I fell in love with years ago on a trip to Nice.
The basics are simply chickpea flour and water and you can add in whatever you want. I based my expectations on my tofu omelette disasters and because I didn’t want to waste too many ingredients when it didn’t work, I just used some spices, spring onion and black sesame seeds. I shouldn’t have been so pessimistic because they worked like an absolute dream. They’re probably a cross between an omelette and a crepe, and I see plenty of experimentation coming. I can’t wait to try different flavours in the batter but also stuffing or rolling all sorts of ingredients in them too.
It seems like my omelette wilderness days are behind me!
Cooking the Vegan Books 
I also have a lot of trouble cooking omelets and also pancakes. I invested in a non-stick pan this past weekend and I have yet to try it, but I hope it will solve my issue.
Your omelet looks amazing!
The curse has ended! What a great idea. I love chickpea flour in things and I know this would be no exception.
I’m glad you found these OK. I’m a big fan as unlike tofu based omelettes they are quick to make
I tend to add near equal measures of rice flour and a little baking powder to make them ‘lighter’, but as you say there is plenty of room for experimentation
I’m fascinated by the idea of using rice-flour. Does that give it a dosaey lightness? When you say you use near equal measures does that mean tha the besan to rice flour is 1:1? How much baking powder do you use?
These look really yummy (maybe I need to add this book to my collection ??). If I see something in a restaurant or cookbook that has chickpea flour in it, I am usually in based on that alone! (although, oddly, I don’t know if I have ever actually cooked with it myself. i do distinctly remember, at least once, BUYING some and having it die a slow death in my freezer. 😦 )
I have never tried a tofu omelette (though it seems like something that one would want to learn and master) so I don’t know why they have such mixed results.
Can I assume you make them in a frying pan like a regular omelette? If so, Babette’s comment above gave me a possible answer. She said that she has trouble with tofu omelettes AND pancakes. I, too, had inconsistent results with pancakes until (a few years ago) I re-discovered what is now in my top five most important kitchen appliances: my electric skillet! I love that thing. I mean I LOVE it!! I hardly have time to wipe it down before it gets used again! It is an inexpensive version that my mom gave me for Christmas probably ten years ago. The legs are a bit wobbly and such but I don’t care! I am afraid to get another one for fear a new one might be prettier but less wonderful at cooking 🙂
Anyway, the point is that they are the perfect thing for getting things cooked evenly! Grilled “cheese” sandwich? Yep, put it in there, walk away, go to the bathroom, forget about the fact that you are even MAKING a sandwich, remember it, come back and STILL you have perfectly toasty, browned sandwich! Really. Pancakes, effortless! So, I am wondering if an electric skillet might not be the answer to the tofu omelette predicament. If you don’t have an electric skillet, may I calmly (without freaking out about WHY you might NOT want to own such an amazingly simple, yet perfect, appliance… 🙂 ) suggest that you consider getting one (like TODAY even!)?