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This fluffy, vegan omelet is fluffy and full of veggies but no tofu. Learn how to make the perfect egg-free chickpea flour omelet! This post was originally published on sept 2 , 2014

chickpea omelet on a plate with orange slices and tomato
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Vegan omelets are tricky. Some have the right texture, some have the right flavor, some have a bit of both but not exactly. Chickpea flour makes a good substitute for an omelet, it being high in protein and yellow :). There’s 10 gm protein and 5 grams fiber in each chickpea omelet! They however can have a dense texture once they cool. You want to serve these right off the skillet for the best fluffier texture.

This format of vegan omelet recipe comes courtesy of my husband, Vivek. If you want to get to know Vivek, we did a recipe video together on YouTube with my chickpea loaf.

When Vivek cooks weekend brunch, he goes for Indian breakfast dishes like chilla,(which is unleavened chickpea flour pancakes) or poha .

fork taking a bite of a vegan omelet

One weekend, he decided to up his game and experiment with my chickpea flour omelet recipe. He wanted buttery onion-tomato uttapam (South Indian pancakes made gotu style from his fave breakfast place), so he improvised to make the chickpea flour pancake with onion and tomato slices.
I often make it his way. Other times I chop up veggies and add to the batter along with some vegan cheese.

chickpea omelette prepared with the veggies inside

I add some baking soda and non dairy yogurt for fluffiness and moisture, some flax seed meal for binding, Kala namak(Indian sulphur salt) for the eggy flavor.
This vegan omelet is super versatile! Make it your own by adding nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor or leaning more into that Indian chilla flavor with some carom seedsor Cumin seeds.

chickpea omelette with veggies inside next to one prepared with the fillings stuffed into the folded omelet

For an even fluffier chickpea flour omelet, blend the batter in a blender. That will add more air to the batter. The texture is best when hot off the skillet. Chickpea flour, lentil flour pancakes set up and get denser as they sit. So serve freshly made. You can make the batter and refrigerate for upto 3 days so you can make the omelet when needed!

No matter how you prepare it, this egg-free omelette is absolutely delicious with a light, fluffy texture.

chickpea flour omelette topped with vegan yogurt

Why You’ll Love this Vegan Omelet

  • light and fluffy texture, very similar to eggs
  • incredible flavor from garlic powder, black salt, cumin, and veggies
  • versatile! Play with mix-ins and even adjust the texture to suit your tastes.
  • naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free.

Chickpea Flour Vegan Omelet

4.75 from 16 votes
By: Vegan Richa
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 3
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American, fusion
This fluffy, vegan omelet is fluffy and full of veggies but no tofu. Learn how to make the perfect egg-free chickpea flour omelet!
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Ingredients 
 

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 cup chickpea flour
  • 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal or chia seed meal
  • 1 tablespoon potato starch, or tapioca starch or cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kala namak, Indian sukphur salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Wet Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoon non dairy plain yogurt, unsweetened or lightly sweetened
  • 1 1/4 cup water or stock
  • veggies, like sliced tomato, red onion, mushrooms, jalapeño slices or pickled jalapeño slices, and chopped cilantro, chopped spinach
  • mix-ins, like vegan cheese and green onions, optional

Instructions 

  • In a bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients. Add the non-dairy yogurt and pour 1/2 cup of the water to the dry mixture, while mixing in. Once the water is mostly combined, Pour more water, keep mixing, stopping after every 1/4 cup to combine well, keep adding more water to make a thick pourable batter. Mix well so there are no lumps. (If you dump the entire water into the flour mixture, it will get lumpy and be really hard to get a smooth batter). You can also blend the ingredients in a blender.
    Let this batter sit for 2 minutes. If you want, you can add vegan cheese, green onions, and other mix-ins to the batter at this point.
  • Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet at medium heat. When the skillet is hot, brush oil to grease. Pour 1/3 cup or more batter using a ladle and spread on the pan, (spread using your ladle or by moving the pan) then place the vegetable slices on the batter. Make thinner and smaller pancakes to get a hang of these to start with.
    Alternately, you can mix things like vegan cheese and chopped veggies into the batter
  • Cover the pan and cook for 2 mins then uncover and cook for another 2-3 minutes, depending on your pan and the thickness of the vegan omelet. The first one usually takes longer as the pan heats up.
  • Once the center is set, flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes and serve. For extra eggy flavor, sprinkle a pinch of Kala namak on the omelet. The Kala namak flavor fades in cooking, so use it in the end to add a stronger egg flavor.
    Serve hot with ketchup, Sriracha, chutneys, roasted potatoes, hash browns or other breakfast fixin's.

Video

Notes

Variations: Add 1 to 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor. Add 1/4 teaspoon carom seeds/ajwain for an Indian chilla flavor. Add chopped cilantro and veggies to the batter. Add shredded vegan cheese or shredded veggies like cauliflower or carrots to the batter for a thicker pancake. Add 1/2 teaspoon baking powder to the dry ingredients for an even fluffier chickpea flour omelette.
If you don’t have vegan yogurt, use a mixture of 3 tablespoons non dairy milk + 1/4 teaspoon vinegar + 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice. The yogurt makes the pancake much fluffier, though.
If you are using besan, you will need slightly less water to make a thick batter. Chickpea flour does much better in this recipe because of its holding properties.
Chickpea batter sticks a lot to the pan if it isn’t a good non stick or well-seasoned cast iron. Use a good dedicated pan, and let it cook through before flipping. If the pancake loves to stick to the pan, just scramble it up.
Nutritional information does not include veggies, mix ins, toppings, or the optional nutritional yeast.

Nutrition

Calories: 179kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 0.4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 706mg, Potassium: 368mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 19IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 49mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this recipe? Rate and comment below!
vegan chickpea flour omelet ingredients on the kitchen counter

Ingredients

  • chickpea flour – This is the base for your vegan omelet. Learn about the difference between besan and chickpea flour, if you’re not sure which is which.
  • potato starch- or cornstarch. Adds a bit of binding
  • flax meal – Or use chia seeds. This is the binder that helps the omelette stay together.
  • salt and spices – Kala namak gives this vegan omelet an eggy flavor. You also season it with turmeric (for color), garlic powder, black pepper, and table salt.
  • baking soda – Helps it rise and get fluffy.
  • non-dairy yogurt – The yogurt gives this an amazing, eggy texture with no eggs!
  • veggies and mix-ins – Use veggies of choice! I am using tomato, red onion, spinach, and mushrooms to top one of my chickpea omelets and making another one plain but adding vegan cheese and green onions to the batter.

💡Tips

  • You want a smooth, pourable batter. Whisk in more water by pouring it slowly so that it can incorporate into the flour instead of making pools of water in the batter
  • You need a good nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron pan to make this recipe. Chickpea flour batter loves to stick to the pan! If it does stick, simply pivot from making an omelette to a scramble.

How to Make a Chickpea Flour Omelette

In a bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients.

adding dry ingredients to the bowl
dry ingredients all mixed together

Add the non-dairy yogurt and pour 1/2 cup of the water to the dry mixture, while mixing in. Once the water is mostly combined, Pour more water, keep mixing, stopping after every 1/4 cup to combine well, keep adding more water to make a thick pourable batter. (If you dump the entire water into the flour mixture, it will get lumps and be really hard to get a smooth batter). You can also blend the ingredients in a blender. Let this batter sit for 2 minutes. If you want, you can add vegan cheese, green onions, and other mix-ins to the batter at this point.

Let the batter sit for a few minutes.

adding non-dairy yogurt to the dry ingredients
adding water to the dry ingredients

Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet at medium heat. When the skillet is hot, brush oil to grease. Pour 1/3 cup or more batter using a ladle and spread on the pan, (spread using your ladle or by moving the pan) then place the vegetable slices on the batter. Make thinner and smaller pancakes to get a hang of these to start with. Alternately, you can mix things like vegan cheese and chopped veggies into the batter

chickpea omelet batter in the bowl, after mixing
ladling vegan omelet batter into a hot pan

Cover the pan and cook for 2 mins then uncover and cook for another 2-3 minutes, depending on your pan and the thickness of the vegan omelet. The first one usually takes longer as the pan heats up.

adding onion and tomato on top of the chickpea flour omelet in the pan
vegan omelette with veggies on the bottom after flipping over

Once the center is set, flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes and serve. For extra eggy flavor, sprinkle a pinch of Kala namak on the omelet. The Kala namak flavor fades in cooking, so use it in the end to add a stronger egg flavor. Serve hot with ketchup, Sriracha, chutneys, roasted potatoes, hash browns or other breakfast fixin’s.

chickpea omelette prepared with the veggies inside

What to Serve with Chickpea Omelettes

Serve hot with ketchup, Sriracha, chutney, roasted breakfast potatoes, hash browns or other breakfast fixin’s.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this recipe allergy friendly?

This chickpea omelet is naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free (depending on the non dairy yogurt used). It’s also egg-free, corn-free, and coconut-free.

Can I use besan?

You can use besan(gran flour), you’ll need a bit less water to make the batter. Learn about the difference between besan and chickpea flour here

About Richa

Hi, I'm Richa! I create flavorful plant based recipes that are inspired by my Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options.

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99 Comments

  1. Athi says:

    Richa ,
    Any replacement for flax meal/Chia seeds.
    Thanks .

    1. Vegan Richa Support says:

      You can omit it.