Moong Dal Cheela
Moong Dal Chilla/Cheela is a delicious protein-packed Indian breakfast recipe made from split yellow moong dal, onions, ginger, chilies, spices, and herbs.
Servings 4
Calories 192kcal
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
- 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
Calories: 192kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.05g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 60mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 194IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg