Moong Dal Chilla Recipe (Protein-Rich Snack)

Moong dal chilla, also called moong dal cheela, is an Indian-style spiced pancake made from husked and split mung lentils. The soaked lentils are ground into a batter and spiced with onions, herbs and seasonings before cooking on a pan. It is naturally gluten-free, high in plant protein, and easy to digest. Moong dal chilla is commonly eaten for breakfast, brunch, or a light meal with chutney or curd.

About Moong Dal Chilla

One of my most favorite dal or lentils is the moong dal, because you really can’t doubt on its versatility.

Plus, it is highly nutritious, filling and is a great choice when you want to manage your weight effortlessly. According to Ayurveda, moong dal is also tridoshic, that is, balances all 3 doshas.

Chilla or cheela is an Indian-style pancake popular in North India, made in both savory and sweet versions.

This mung bean pancake is a savory type, similar to other variations like Oats Chilla, Suji ka Chilla, and Besan Chilla, while sweet cheela is usually made with whole wheat flour and sugar or jaggery. Depending on how you spread the batter, chilla can turn out soft or thin and crisp.

In different regions it is also called pudla, puda, or poli, and a close South Indian cousin of moong dal chilla is the Pesarattu Dosa from Andhra Pradesh, made with the same lentil batter.

This is one of those simple, healthy dishes that never tastes boring. I learnt this moong dal chilla recipe from my mother. She made it often for our breakfast or as an evening snack

In this recipe, I use the hulled yellow moong dal with a few basic spices and herbs. Moong dal needs soaking before you make the batter.

Soak the lentils overnight for breakfast or for 3 to 4 hours if you plan to make them later in the day. Grind the soaked lentils, and make a smooth fine batter.

Add your preferred veggies, spices, herbs and seasonings to the batter and make the moong chilla on a medium-hot skillet or tawa.

At home, moong dal chilla is a regular for breakfast or snacks, along with besan chilla, oats chilla, and rava chilla.

You can add grated carrot, beetroot, green onions, capsicum, or cabbage to make the chilla more filling. Serve it plain or stuffed with paneer, along with Green Chutney or tomato ketchup.

How to make Moong Dal Chilla

Soak & Grind Moong Dal

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

2. Then, soak moong dal in 2 to 3 cups water for about 3 to 4 hours.

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

4. Add the drained moong dal and ¼ cup of water in a grinder or blender jar. Grind or blend to a fine and smooth batter.

Don’t add too much water at once, else the moong dal won’t grind very well. In case you are not able to grind the lentils, you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons more water.

Spice Up Moong Dal 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 very well. Keep aside.

8. Chop coriander leaves, onion, green chilies, ginger and keep them ready. You will need:

• ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves
• ¼ cup finely chopped onions
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 to 2 finely chopped green chilies or about ½ to 1 teaspoon finely chopped

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

10. Mix very well.

11. Add 1 pinch asafoetida (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 tablespoons water. I added 1 tablespoon 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 skillet or tawa. The batter should be of a medium pouring consistency, neither too thick nor too thin.

Make Moong Dal Chilla

13. Heat a well seasoned pan. This is important as the pan has to be hot before you make the cheela. Add a scoopful of batter on the center of the pan.

Tip 1: If using a cast iron pan, spread some ½ teaspoon oil evenly all over the pan or tawa before adding the batter.

Tip 2: If using a non-stick pan, there is no need to spread oil on it.

14. Rotate the batter with the back of spatula giving a round and even shape.

15. Cook chilla on medium heat.

16. After a minute or so, they will look crisp and brown.

At this point drizzle a bit of oil at the sides and on top of the chilla. Spread the oil evenly with a spoon on the top of the cooked chilla.

17. Flip the chilla and cook the other side for a minute or till golden brown and crisp.

18. Once the chilla appears crisp and brown, fold it.

19. Again fold them forming a triangular shape or you can just keep them round. Similarly make rest of the chillas. To speed up the cooking, use two pans and make chilla on them.

You can stuff the chilla with crumbled paneer, and then fold them. If using crumbled paneer, then fold from one side.

20. Serve the Moong Dal Chilla hot or warm with tomato ketchup or chutney. Since these chillas stay soft, you can also pack them in a tiffin box.

Dassana’s Recipe Notes

1. Make a gluten-free Moong Dal Cheela without asafoetida (hing).
2. For a spicier chilla, add more red chili powder or use hotter green chilies. You can alter these quantities to make it less spicy.
3. Add the rest of the spice powders too as per what suits your preferences.
4. While the batter is kept for resting, the onions in it will leave some moisture and change the consistency slightly. In case of a thick batter, add 1 or 2 tablespoons water to make it of medium pouring consistency. Avoid adding excess water because a thin batter will not spread evenly while cooking.
5. Boost the nutritional profile of this Moong Dal Cheela by adding some veggies like beetroot, carrot, cabbage and capsicum. You can also include some greens like spinach or kale or fenugreek leaves.

More Easy Snacks Using Moong Dal (Including Sprouts)

• Sprouts Chaat
• Sprouts Salad
• Moong Dal Dhokla
• Moong Dal Pakoda

Moong Dal Chilla recipe from the archives was first published on July 2016.