Moong Dal Chilla
Moong Dal Chilla, also known as Moong Dal Vegetable Chilla, is a delicious and nutritious breakfast recipe popular in North India. Made with protein-rich moong dal (split green gram), this recipe is similar to besan chilla (gram flour pancake) and oats chilla. It requires soaking the moong dal, grinding it into a paste, and mixing it with vegetables and spices to create a flavorful batter. The batter is then spread on a tawa (griddle) to make spicy moong dal chillas or pancakes. These chillas are best served with coriander chutney and tomato ketchup as a delightful afternoon snack.
Preparation Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2 servings
Moong Dal Chilla Ingredients:
- 1 cup split moong dal without skin (dhuli moong dal) or whole green moong or split moong dal with skin
- 1/2 inch piece of ginger, chopped
- 1 green chilli, chopped
- 1/4 cup water (more or less as needed)
- 2 tomatoes, finely chopped (approximately 3/4 cup)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped (approximately 1/2 cup)
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin-coriander powder
- 2-4 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
- 1 tablespoon oil + extra for shallow frying
- Salt to taste
Directions:
- Rinse 1 cup of moong dal 2-3 times with water and then soak it in 1½-2 cups of water for a minimum of 2 hours, or ideally 3-4 hours.
- After the soaking time, drain the excess water. The dal will increase in size.
- Transfer the soaked dal to a large jar of a mixer grinder. Add the chopped ginger and green chili.
- Grind the dal mixture until it becomes a medium-coarse paste. Scrape the sides of the jar using a spatula and add 1/4 cup of water. Grind again until you achieve a smooth paste.
- Add the chopped onion, chopped tomatoes, and chopped coriander leaves to the mixer grinder.
- Pulse the mixer grinder a few times to mix the ingredients together. Avoid grinding for too long; around 10 seconds should be sufficient.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add the red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin-coriander powder, oil, and salt. Mix well. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water to achieve a pouring consistency similar to the idli-dosa batter.
- Heat a non-stick dosa tawa or skillet over medium flame. Once hot, drizzle a few drops of oil.
Take a ladle full of batter and spread it in a circular motion using the backside of the ladle on the tawa, forming a round shape with a diameter of approximately 5-6 inches
Tips and Variations:
- You can use whole moong or split moong dal with or without skin in this recipe.
- Soak the moong dal overnight if you plan to make chillas for breakfast, or soak it for 3-4 hours if you prefer to serve them in the afternoon or evening.
- You can add various vegetables like capsicum, grated carrot, grated beetroot, chopped spinach, or grated zucchini to the batter, especially when making chillas for kids. Alternatively, you can make plain chillas without adding onion, tomato, or any other veggies.
- The batter can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator, but make sure to cook the chillas fresh when serving.
- For a variation, sprinkle 3-4 tablespoons of grated cheese on the surface of the chilla during step 11.
- Another variation is to spread 1 tablespoon of green chutney on the surface of the chilla during step 9 before transferring it to a plate.
- To make the chillas milder for kids, omit the green chili and spread 1/2 tablespoon of butter on the surface of the chilla to keep them soft.
- The taste of moong dal chillas is mild and spicy.
- Serve them with spicy chutney as an afternoon snack or enjoy them with tea during the evening.
