Moong Dal Chilla/Cheela is a delicious protein-packed Indian breakfast recipe made from split yellow moong dal, onions, ginger, chilies, spices, and herbs. Serve along with some chutney or pickle. These savory lentil pancakes are vegan and gluten-free.
Hi everyone, I'm back with another wholesome breakfast meal. I previously published a recipe for besan chilla. If you tried it at home, do share your thoughts with the rest of us in the comments section.
I present you with another wonderful and healthy chilla recipe to add to the delicious and nutritious Indian breakfast recipes list.
The only difference is that you must substitute the besan (gram flour) with soaked moong dal paste. Compared to the besan recipe, this one requires a little more time. Why do you ask? That is because moong dal requires time to soak and blend. Yet, rely on us—it is worth it!
This is my tried-and-tested dish to serve whenever my kid and husband want something wholesome, delicious, and really tasty. I serve it with tangy mint coriander chutney, and the meal is ready to rock!
If you liked this recipe, then check out more Moong Dal Recipes
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What Is Chilla?
Chilla or cheela, also known as Puda or Pudla, is a popular Indian breakfast or snack dish commonly made from besan (gram flour) or a batter of lentils, similar to a pancake or a crepe.
But if you dig around and explore, you'll find a lot of different chilla recipes. To name a few: ragi chilla, oats chilla, sabudana chilla, and many others. We've got a fantastic recipe for moong dal chilla for you today in this post.
What Is Moong Dal Cheela?
Moong dal chilla is made using split yellow moong dal, as the name implies. It is made by grinding soaked moong dal with some spices and herbs like green chilies, ginger, cumin seeds, and coriander leaves.
You may also use green mung beans or masoor dal to make this chilla recipe. Moong dal cheela is often enjoyed for breakfast with chutney, pickles, or yogurt.
Ingredients
- Yellow Moong Dal: Split yellow mung lentils are the main ingredient. They soak much faster than other lentils and are easier to digest.
- Onions: Finely chopped red onions add a great flavor to the dish. You can also use white or yellow onions.
- Ginger: use fresh ginger to enhance the taste of the chilla.
- Green chilies: This is optional. It is added to spice up the cheelas. You can adjust the quantity depending on your spice level.
- Spices: cumin seeds, turmeric powder, and Kashmiri red chili powder are used as flavoring agents for mung dal ka chilla.
- Oil: for cooking the moong dal cheela. You can use any cooking oil of your choice. You can also use homemade ghee; skip it if you are a vegan.
How to Make Moong Dal Chilla
Rinse 1 cup of split yellow moong dal 2-3 times in water and soak it in water for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Drain all the water. Add the soaked dal to a blender jar, along with 1-inch ginger, 1 green chili, 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, and ½ cup of water (or as needed), and blend until you get a smooth batter.
Transfer the batter to a mixing bowl. Add ¼ cup of chopped onions, 2 tablespoons of coriander leaves, ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon of red chili powder, and salt to taste. Mix everything well. If the batter is too thick, add a little more water to adjust the consistency. Let the batter for five minutes.
Heat a seasoned iron tawa or non-stick pan over medium heat. Spread a few drops of oil into the skillet.
Once the skillet is hot, pour a ladleful of chilla batter in the center and quickly spread it evenly in a circular motion to form a thin and round cheela. Drizzle some oil (or ghee) around the edges of the chilla.
Cook the chilla for about 1-2 minutes or until the base turns light golden and crispy. Flip it using a spatula and cook the other side until you see golden spots.
Serve hot or warm with chutney of your choice or pickle and masala tea.
Serving Suggestions
Serve moong dal chilla hot with your favorite chutney and pickle. You can also pair it with plain yogurt or raita.
A hot cup of masala tea or coffee can be a perfect complement if you serve it for breakfast or an evening snack.
You can also serve them instead of naan, roti, or parathas with curries or stir-fries to make it a complete meal.
To enhance the flavor and turn your moong dal chillas into a complete meal, you can add stuffings such as paneer bhurji, roasted vegetables, cheese, or any other ingredient of your choice.
Storage Suggestions
Make ahead: You can prepare the moong dal chilla batter ahead of time and store it in the fridge for a day or two. When you are ready to serve, add the onions, cilantro, and spices just before cooking the chilla.
Refrigerate: Moong dal chilla tastes best when served fresh. However, you can refrigerate the leftover cooked moong dal chilla in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days. If you have a leftover batter with onion and coriander, then you can refrigerate it for up to 1 day.
Freeze: You can place the mung cheela in a ziplock bag or airtight container and freeze it for up to 2 months.
Reheat: Reheat it in the microwave or on a griddle/tawa before serving. If frozen, thaw moong chillas in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the microwave or tawa before serving.
Tips to make the Best Moong Dal Cheela
- Consistency of the batter: The consistency of the batter should be correct to get perfect crispy chillas. The batter should be neither too thick, nor watery. If the batter is too thick, add a little more water until it is of pouring consistency.
- Finely chopped veggies: use finely chopped, or grated veggies; otherwise, it will become difficult to spread the chilla on the tawa.
- Rice flour: You can add ¼ cup of rice flour to get a crispy moong dal chilla.
- Spice level: Skip green chilies and red chili powder if making for kids. Adjust the spices according to your spice level.
Variations
- Other Lentils: To make chilla, you can also use whole green mung beans (green gram) or split masoor dal (red lentils).
- Vegetable Chilla: To make the batter extra nutritious, you can add finely chopped vegetables, such as bell peppers and cabbage, or grated veggies, like carrots, beetroot, zucchini, etc.
- Paneer Chilla: Add shredded paneer (cottage cheese) or crumbled tofu to your batter and cook it on a tawa to make protein-rich moong dal chilla. You can also add paneer bhurji or tofu bhurji as a stuffing to the chilla.
- Cheese Chilla: After the moong dal chilla is cooked, sprinkle some shredded cheese on it, fold it in half, and serve.
- Spinach Chilla: Add finely chopped spinach to the batter to enhance its nutritional value. You can also blend spinach along with the soaked moong dal to get a beautiful green color to the dish.
- Methi Chilla: Add finely chopped fresh methi (fenugreek leaves) to the batter to make it nutrient-rich.
Frequently Asked Questions
As previously mentioned, sure! Moong dal, an excellent source of plant-based protein, is used to make this moong dal cheela recipe. You may further load it with flavorful paneer filling to enhance its nutritional value.
Absolutely, you may eat moong dal chilla on a daily basis. Your immune system will be strengthened, and your chance of contracting illnesses will be reduced if you regularly eat organic moong dal.
Rinse, pour fresh water, and soak the moong dal for at least 2-3 hours or overnight.
Moong Dal Cheela
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow moong dal (split yellow lentils)
- 1 inch ginger
- 1 green chili
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ cup onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon coriander leaves finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder optional
- salt to taste
- ½ cup water or as needed
- oil for cooking chillas
Instructions
- Rinse the moong dal 2-3 times in water and soak it in water for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Drain all the water. Add the soaked dal to a blender jar, along with ginger, green chilies, cumin seeds, and water, and blend till you get a smooth batter.
- Transfer the batter to a mixing bowl. Add chopped onions, coriander leaves, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt. Mix everything well. If the batter is too thick, add a little more water to adjust the consistency. Let the batter for five minutes.
- Heat a seasoned iron tawa or non-stick pan over medium heat. Spread a few drops of oil into the skillet.
- Once the skillet is hot, pour a ladleful of chilla batter in the center and quickly spread it evenly in a circular motion to form a thin and round cheela. Drizzle some oil (or ghee) around the edges of the chilla.
- Cook the chilla for about 1-2 minutes or until the base turns light golden and crispy. Flip it using a spatula and cook the other side until you see golden spots.
- Serve hot or warm with chutney of your choice or pickle and masala tea.
Notes
Tips to make the Best Moong Dal Cheela
- Consistency of the batter: The consistency of the batter should be correct to get perfect crispy chillas. The batter should be neither too thick, nor watery. If the batter is too thick, add a little more water until it is of pouring consistency.
- Finely chopped veggies: use finely chopped, or grated veggies otherwise, it will become difficult to spread the chilla on the tawa.
- Rice flour: You can add ¼ cup of rice flour to get a crispy moong dal chilla.
- Spice level: Skip green chilies and red chili powder if making for kids. Adjust the spices according to your spice level.
Variations
- Other Lentils: You can also use whole green mung beans (green gram) or split masoor dal (red lentils) to make chilla.
- Vegetable Chilla: You can add finely chopped such as bell peppers, cabbage, or grated veggies like carrot, beetroot, zucchini, etc., to the batter to make it extra nutritious.
- Paneer Chilla: Add shredded paneer (cottage cheese) or crumbled tofu to your batter and cook it on a tawa to make protein-rich moong dal chilla. You can also add paneer bhurji or tofu bhurji as a stuffing to the chilla.
- Cheese Chilla: Sprinkle some shredded cheese on the moong dal chilla after it is cooked, fold it in half, and serve.
- Spinach Chilla: Add finely chopped spinach to the batter to enhance its nutritional value. You can also blend spinach along with the soaked moong dal to get a beautiful green color to the dish.
- Methi Chilla: Add finely chopped fresh methi (fenugreek leaves) to the batter to make it nutrient rich.
Nutrition
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