moong dal chilla recipe, how to make moong dal cheela recipe

moong dal chilla recipe with step by step photos – healthy, nutritious and tasty chillas made with moong lentils.

some days i prepare chillas for breakfast as well as snacks – like besan chilla, oats chilla, rava chilla and moong dal chilla. while besan chilla is quick to prepare, for the moong dal chillas the mung lentils need to be soaked overnight or for some hours.

if you plan to prepare moong dal chillas for breakfast then soak the moong lentils overnight. if you plan to prepare chillas as an evening snack or after school snack for kids, then soak the moong lentils for 3 to 4 hours.

moong dal chillas can be made with both split & husked moong or whole moong. in this recipe i have used yellow mung lentils. some spices and herbs are also added. this recipe of moong dal chilla is one of the first recipes that i learnt from my mom. she would make it often and still does makes them now.

chillas are also known as pudas, pudlas and polis in india. chillas are very popular towards north india, rajasthan and gujarat region. similarly towards the south side dosas are made from whole green gram known as pesarattu.

moong dal is one of those lentils which is tridoshic – balances all the three doshas. with moong dal you can prepare various recipes like – khichdi, ladoo, payasam, dosa, halwa and moong dal fry.

chillas can be made either soft or crisp. if the batter is poured and not spread much just like uttappams then soft chillas can be made. if the batter is spread across evenly and thinly then you can make crisp chillas.

serve moong dal chillas with green chutney or tomato ketchup. you can serve the chillas plain or with some toasted homemade bread or chapati.

you can also serve the chillas stuffed with some crumbled or grated paneer. to make them more nutritious you could also add some grated carrot, shredded cabbage, chopped capsicum and some grated beetroot. moong dal chillas can be made as a breakfast, snack or even packed in lunch boxes.

if you are looking for more breakfast recipes then do check ven pongal, paneer paratha, masala dosa, poha idli, butter rava dosa and bread pakora recipe.

moong dal chilla recipe below:

4.84 from 6 votes

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moong dal cheela recipe

prep time

4 hrs

cook time

30 mins

total time

4 hrs 30 mins

 

moong dal chilla recipe - healthy, nutritious and tasty chillas made with moong lentils.

course: side dish, snacks

cuisine: indian

servings: 12 chillas

author: dassana amit

ingredients (1 cup = 250 ml)

• 1 cup moong dal (split & husked moong lentils)
• 2 to 3 cups water for soaking
• ¼ cup water, for grinding or add as required
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
• ¼ teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder)
• ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder or cumin powder (bhuna jeera powder)
• 1 pinch hing (asafoetida)
• ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves (dhania patta)
• ¼ cup finely chopped onions
• 1 teaspoon grated or finely chopped ginger (adrak)
• 1 to 2 green chilies - finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt or add as required
• 1 to 2 tablespoon oil for cooking chillas or add as required

how to make recipe

soaking and grinding moong dal:

1. rinse the moong dal 3 to 4 times in water.

2. soak moong dal with 2 to 3 cups of water for 3 to 4 hours or over night.

3. the moong dal will swell or double up in size. discard the water.

4. in a grinder, grind soaked moong dal with ¼ cup of water. 

5. don't add too much water else they might not grind evenly. we need a smooth and lump free batter for moong dal chillas.

making moong dal chilla:

1. take the batter in a bowl. add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon red chili powder, ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder and 1 teaspoon salt or as required.

2. mix very well. 

3. then add add ¼ cup coriander leaves, ¼ cup finely chopped onion, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, finely chopped green chilies and a pinch of hing. 

4. again mix very well. 

5. allow the batter to rest for 15 -20 mins.

6. the onions will leave some moisture. check the consistency of the batter. if its too thick, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons more water. adding too much water will not be good as it will not spread evenly on the tawa.

7. the consistency of the batter has to be of pouring consistency, neither too thick nor too thin.

8. heat the pan. this is important as the pan has to be hot before you make the cheelas.

9. add a scoopful of batter towards the center of the pan.

10. the batter will spread a little on its own.

11. just rotate the batter with the back of spatula giving a round and even shape.

12. drizzle few drops of oil around the edges of the chilla.

13. cook the chillas on medium heat. after a minute they will look crisp and brown.

14. flip the chillas and cook the other side for a minute.

15. once the moong dal chillas appear crisp and brown, remove and place aside. 

16. similarly make all other chillas. you can stuff the chillas with some grated paneer if you want. 

17. serve moong dal chillas with tomato ketchup or green chutney.

recipe notes

tips for making moong dal cheela recipe:

• add the spice powders less or more depending on your preferences. 
• you can skip or reduce green chilies, if you want.
• for a spicy chilla, you can increase red chili powder or use hot green chilies.
• some grated veggies like carrots, beetroot, cabbage and capsicum can be added to give a nutritional boost in the chillas. 
• for a gluten free moong dal chilla, skip adding asafoetida (hing). 

how to make moong dal cheela recipe:

1. rinse 1 cup moong dal 3 to 4 times in water.

2. then soak moong dal with 2 to 3 cups of water for about 3 to 4 hours.

3. the moong dal will swell or double up in size. discard the water.

4. add the moong dal in a grinder jar. grind with ¼ cup of water. don’t add too much water else the moong dal won’t grind very well. in case you are not able to grind the moong lentils very well, then you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons more water. grind to a smooth batter.

5. add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon red chili powder and ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder or cumin powder.

6. add 1 teaspoon salt or add as required.

7. stir and mix well very well. keep aside.

8. chop coriander leaves, onion, chilies, ginger and keep them ready. you will need ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves, ¼ cup finely chopped onions, 1 teaspoon grated ginger and 1 to 2 green chilies (finely chopped).

9. add the chopped ingredients to the moong dal batter.

10. mix very well.

11. add a pinch of hing and mix again.

12. allow the batter to rest for 15 to 20 minutes. the onions will leave moisture and the consistency of the batter will change slightly. check the consistency of the batter. if its too thick then add 1 to 2 tablespoon of water. i added 1 tablespoon of water to make it to a pouring consistency. adding too much water will not be good as the batter will not spread evenly on the tawa. the consistency of the batter has to be of a medium pouring consistency, neither too thick nor too thin.

13. heat the pan. this is important as the pan has to be hot before you make the cheelas. add a scoopful of batter towards the center of the pan.

14. just rotate the batter with the back of spatula giving a round and even shape. cook chilla on a medium flame.

15. drizzle few drops of oil around the edges of the chilla.

16. cook the chillas on medium flame. after a minute they will look crisp and brown.

17. flip the chillas and cook the other side for a minute, till golden brown and crisp.

18. once the chillas appear crisp and brown, fold them.

19. again fold them forming a triangular shape or you can just keep them round. similarly make all other chillas. you could stuff the chillas with crumbled paneer, and then fold them. if using crumbled paneer, then fold from one side.

serve the moong dal chillas hot or warm with tomato ketchup or chutney. since moong dal chillas stay soft, you can also pack them in tiffin box.

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