Gwyneth Paltrow just discovered besan chilla, and Indians have entered the chat

Gwyneth Paltrow shared a video of herself making besan chilla and serving it with mint-chutney eggs and leftover short ribs. The unusual pairing drew amused, appreciative and critical reactions from Indian food lovers online.Gwyneth Paltrow made besan chilla for breakfast and shared a video of it on social media. (Photo: Instagram)Gwyneth Paltrow has discovered besan chilla. And, as expected, the internet has opinions. The actor and Goop founder recently shared a video of herself making the humble Indian breakfast, which she called “savoury Indian chilla pancakes”, as part of her recurring #boyfriendbreakfast series. The batter was made with besan, or gram flour, along with spices, onions, tomatoes and ginger. So far, so familiar.Then came the Gwyneth twist.She served the chillas with eggs topped with green mint chutney — and leftover short ribs from the previous night's dinner. Paltrow captioned the post: “Mint chutney eggs and savoury Indian chilla pancakes with last nights leftover short ribs #boyfriendbreakfast.”The breakfast quickly caught the attention of Indian food lovers online. Some enjoyed seeing a familiar desi staple on a Hollywood breakfast table, while others were considerably less impressed with the remix. Actress Mindy Kaling, meanwhile, simply commented: “Need to try.” Eggs with chilla are not some unimaginable combination. In fact, adding protein to a savoury breakfast is hardly revolutionary. What makes her plate unusual is the particular combination: chilla, mint-chutney poached eggs and leftover short ribs.While some championed her idea of making some besan chilla for breakfast, not everyone was as pleased. For instance, Rocky Singh, food blogger, show host and author, wrote, “Somebody get them a GI tag for besan chillas now they’ll be claiming it soon anyway! I hope they don’t use Uncle Trump to ban Indians from making bhillas after that like they tried to GI Tag our Basmati in 1997.” Screengrab of Rocky Singh's tweet. Someone took a dig at Paltrow and said, “Every single thing will be appropriated by this nepo baby #gwenythpaltrow”Because there is something inherently amusing about watching one of India's most everyday breakfasts arrive on the plate of someone whose lifestyle brand has made wellness, food and aspirational living part of her public identity, there’s a sense of pride (not everyone is proud though).For many Indians, besan chilla isn't an exotic discovery. For Paltrow's followers, however, it is a new recipe to try.- EndsPublished By: Tiasa Bhowal Published On: Aug 18, 2026 11:21 IST