Moong Dal Chilla | Savory Lentil Pancakes


This Moong dal chilla/cheela recipe is healthy and nutritious. Make these lentil protein-packed vegan savory pancakes for breakfast or snacks! It’s loaded with greens and can be made in 20 minutes!

a large oval tray filled with Moong Dal Chillas

What is Chilla

Chilla is a healthy savory pancake/crepe recipe that’s very similar to the South Indian Pesarattu. It’s called chilla, cheela, Pudla, or Puda, and is part of North Indian cuisine.

There are a variety of cheela recipes using different flours. These vegan pancakes are made with yellow lentils or moong dal. It is very similar to the South Indian Dosa.

Another basic cheela recipe is using besan/chickpea flour. I keep swapping between these two vegan protein-packed pancake recipes because I love them both.

Hot Indian breakfast

Traditional Indian breakfast is always something hot and freshly prepared! The items prepared for breakfast are very diverse because there is no one fixed Indian breakfast!

We love variety, which is why Indian snack recipes are always in huge demand. Growing up, I don’t remember even a single day when mom has not made a hot breakfast for us.

She would insist that we eat a meal before we leave the house. Our breakfast would range from idli, dosa, chilla, upma, poha, sandwich, paratha, etc.

a couple of Moong Dal Chillas placed on a tray

Never skip breakfast

I often hear people say that they don’t like to eat anything in the morning or prefer to skip breakfast. I don’t think that’s a good approach.

I cannot function without something in my stomach! Now here is the science behind why breakfast is good for you.

  • The basic formula for a good breakfast is to pair carbs with proteins.
  • The carbs give our body energy to get started and our brain the fuel it needs to take on the day.
  • Protein gives us staying power and helps us feel satiated.
  • It helps improve performance and will help keep fatigue away.

That is why I like to have breakfast every day that has a balance of nutrients and flavor. 

I prefer batter-based recipes for breakfast and snacks because they are so convenient and can be made ahead of time.

Why make this

  • Nutritious snack
  • A mix of protein and carbs
  • Extremely delicious to taste
  • This cheela recipe needs no fermentation
  • The crepes can be made instantly 
  • These are eggless and vegan
  • The batter can be made ahead of time
  • Great way to sneak in the greens
  • A gluten-free flatbread recipe
  • No flour needed

Ingredients needed

all the ingredients needed to make Moong Dal Chilla placed on a table with labels on them

Lentils – Moong dal is also known as split yellow lentils and can be found on Amazon as well as in any Indian grocery store.

They are small yellow lentils and are very easy to ook with. You can use whole green mung beans or split mung beans with skin as substitutions in this savory lentil pancakes recipe.

Veggies and herbs – spinach, onions, and cilantro help in making these vegan protein pancakes more flavorful and nutritious.

Spices – green chillies, cumin seeds, carom seeds or ajwain (helps with digestion), turmeric, and chilly powder are the basic spices that you will need in this cheela recipe.

Flax seed powder – I just ground flax seeds and store them in an airtight container. I then add it to any batter, dal, or dough to make it more nourishing. You can skip it if needed.

How to make it

4 image collage showing the steps to make Moong Dal Chilla batter
4 image collage showing how to make Moong Dal Chilla
  1. Add chopped onions, and chopped green chillies.
  2. Then add cumin powder, ajwain/carom seeds, turmeric, salt, and chilly powder.
  3. Give the batter a mix by adding water so that all the ingredients get blended well together. The consistency should be of pouring consistency (like dosa batter).
  4. Heat a skillet or a crepes pan and pour a ladle full of batter in the center of the skillet. Spread the batter like a pancake giving it an even round shape.
    • Keep the flame on medium when doing this.
    • Drizzle oil on all sides and cook it evenly on both sides for 2-3 minutes on medium flame or till brown spots begin to appear. 
a hand picking up one Moong Dal Chilla from a tray

Serving suggestions

Make as many as you need. Serve Palak Moong Dal Chilla with ketchup or mayo or green chutney. You can also serve it with some Indian pickle.

You can even prepare a stuffing of mashed potatoes, crumbled paneer, or roasted veggies and fill these vegan crepes like a wrap to make them heartier. 

If you plan to use it as a (gluten-free) flatbread, then serve it with a side of curry like Aloo Matar, Rajma Masala, Matar ka Nimona, Mushroom Masala, Kofta Curry, etc.

These savory lentil pancakes can be served for breakfast, brunch, or as an evening snack. You can also pack moong dal chilla in lunchboxes.

Top recipe tips

I like to grind it to a smooth paste, but you can also grind it coarse if you want more texture to these lentil crepes. 

If you are making it for kids, you can add some grated cheese on top of the prepared chilla. Also, tone down the spice level if making it for children.

No need to ferment the batter, you can make chilla instantly. While making these lentil pancakes, you can drizzle regular ghee around them if you are not vegan. 

If you have a mini pancake pan, you can even use this batter to make mini pancakes. You can use this leftover vegan protein pancake batter to make Pudla Sandwich

Recipe FAQs

Can I add more veggies?

Yes. You can use any greens other than spinach if you want. You can try baby kale, Swiss chard, beet leaves, etc. I like to sneak in some greens in this recipe.

In fact, you can also add in grated carrots, cabbage, beetroot, potato, finely chopped bell peppers, and/or tomatoes. You can also skip adding veggies and make plain cheela.

Add crushed or grated ginger to the batter to help improve digestion. Some also like to add crushed coriander seeds and fennel seeds to the batter for a unique flavor.

Want to add grains or flour to the recipe?

This savory lentil pancakes/cheela recipe calls for no flour or grains, however, you can add them. 2-3 tablespoons of rice flour can be added to make crispy chillas.

Quinoa, teff grains, poha, or even oats can be blended with the lentils to make them more wholesome. Soak them first along with the lentils.

How to fix the batter?

The batter should be of flowing consistency, like a pancake batter. You can use water or buttermilk to get the desired consistency.

Add little water or buttermilk if the batter is too thick or add a little bit of any flour, like chickpea flour or rice flour if the batter is too thin.

An even quicker version is to add all the listed ingredients to the blender and make a smooth puree. The color of the vegan protein pancakes will change since there is spinach.

How to make perfect chillas?

Similar to making dosa, the skillet needs to be hot when you pour the batter. Keep the flame on medium and work quickly to spread the batter to make them round.

Then increase the flame a bit and cook it evenly on both sides. There is no need to cover the skillet.

If the skillet is too hot, the batter will not spread properly and stick to the skillet. Keep adjusting the flame when pouring the batter and cooking the chilla.

You can spread it thin to make them crispy or thick. If you want them thin, ensure the batter is very smooth. Even the size of the chilla is a personal preference.

What to do with leftovers?

The batter can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for a week. I prefer to make fresh chillas as and when I need them.

If you want, add the onions before making the chillas to retain their crunch.
You can also freeze the batter. Thaw it overnight and then make moong dal chilla as needed.

Cooked chillas can also be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days. Just reheat them in the microwave or on the skillet.

More savory pancake recipes

Moong Dal Chilla placed on a plate with a fork on top

Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram @cookilicious with the hashtag #cookiliciousveg. I love hearing your feedback! 

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a large oval tray filled with Moong Dal Chillas

Moong Dal Chilla

This Moong dal chilla/cheela recipe is healthy and nutritious. Make these lentil protein-packed vegan savory pancakes for breakfast or snacks! It’s loaded with greens and can be made in 20 minutes!

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Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: Asian, Indian, North Indian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

soaking time: 4 hours

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 271.51kcal

Instructions

  • First, we need to wash moong dal/yellow lentils in running water and then soak them in lukewarm water overnight or for at least 4 hours.

  • Drain the water and grind it to a smooth paste by adding little water. It should be of thick pouring consistency.

  • Transfer this to a mixing bowl. Add chopped spinach and cilantro to the bowl.

  • Then add flax seed powder to it.

  • Add chopped onions, and chopped green chillies.

  • Then add cumin powder, ajwain/carom seeds, turmeric, salt, and chilly powder.

  • Give the batter a mix by adding water so that all the ingredients get blended well together. The consistency should be of pouring consistency (like dosa batter).

  • Heat a skillet or a crepes pan and pour a ladle full of batter in the center of the skillet. Spread the batter like a pancake giving it an even round shape. Keep the flame on medium when doing this.

  • Drizzle oil on all sides and cook it evenly on both sides for 2-3 minutes on medium flame or till brown spots begin to appear. 

  • Serve Moong Dal Chilla with ketchup or mayo or green chutney.

Notes

I like to grind it to a smooth paste, but you can also grind it coarse if you want more texture to these lentil crepes. 
If you are making it for kids, you can even add some grated cheese to the batter. Also, tone down the spice level if making it for children.
No need to ferment the batter, you can make chilla instantly. While making these lentil pancakes, you can drizzle regular ghee around them if you are not vegan. 

Nutrition

Calories: 271.51kcal | Carbohydrates: 45.16g | Protein: 18.48g | Fat: 2.19g | Saturated Fat: 0.12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.72g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.19g | Sodium: 35.46mg | Potassium: 97.81mg | Fiber: 8.63g | Sugar: 2.3g | Vitamin A: 771.47IU | Vitamin C: 5.81mg | Calcium: 46.59mg | Iron: 2.92mg

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