Moong Dal Chilla | Moong Cheela
Moong dal chilla also spelled Moong cheela is one of the easiest Indian Gluten free pancake that we could make for breakfast or dinner. Moong dal or mung bean is one of the easily cooking and digestible lentil.
This dal cheela or lentil pancake is made with de-husked split yellow moong lentil. They are easily available in Indian grocery stores. Moong dal is very nutritious and a great lentil to include protein in our diet.
Table of contents
This Moong dal cheela is a wonderful option for breakfast as it cooks very quickly and we can customize the flavors by using add ons.
I have been on a dosa spree this week and after yesterday's Tomato dosai, I am back with another dosa. Cheela, chilla, dosa or pancake, they all are pretty much the same and just called differently. We make these using some kind of batter and is cooked on a tawa or griddle.
Besan chilla is quite common which is made with chickpeas flour. I make something similar which is called Socca and is a French Flatbread. Besan cheela is more instant than this moong chilla as there is no soaking time involved. The other recipe that I also make with whole Moong dal (green one with skin) is Pesarattu. It is an Andhra special dosa recipe which is very similar to this Cheela but made with whole moong.
When making for breakfast, we can soak the moong dal overnight but if making for dinner, just soaking the moong dal for couple of hours in the evening works. Moong dal or payatham paruppu in Tamil soaks and cooks very quickly. That is one of the best part of this Moong dal cheela. The prep work involved is very less.
I have added some grated carrot and cilantro (coriander leaves) in the cheela batter. But we could make it plain or with onions added as well. There is no rice in the moong dal chilla recipe. We just use lentils and spices and some vegetables (optional).
Why make this Chilla?
- First and foremost, it is delicious.
- It is loaded with nutrition and great way to include protein.
- Easy to make and almost a instant dosa recipe as there is no fermentation time.
- Moong dal digests very easily. For this reason, it is a great choice for breakfast for children as well as elderly.
- This cheela recipe is entirely gluten free and also vegan.
- This chilla recipe is easily customizable based on taste preferences. We could also make it a stuffed pancake by using potato masala or paneer bhurji filling inside the cheela.
- Unlike other dosa, this moong chilla remains soft even when cold. So this can be packed for lunch boxes as well.
Ingredients needed
Check the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact measurements and printable detailed recipes.
Moong dal - We will be using yellow split moong dal without the skin for this recipe. If you want to make it whole moong dal / mung bean, check out my Pesarattu recipe.
Cumin seeds
Red chilies and Green chilies - you could use a little of both or just either one of them. I like using both as they add a different flavor.
Ginger - I love the flavor of ginger in my cheela. Highly recommended.
Oil - I use Indian sesame oil / gingelly oil to make my dosa / adai recipes. You could use any oil of your choice. We just need a little to cook the chilla.
Additional optional ingredients - I used grated carrots and chopped cilantro in my moong dal chilla batter. We could also add finely chopped onions instead or along with these.
Turmeric powder - A little turmeric powder in the batter adds a nice flavor and color to the chilla. It is optional though.
Salt to taste
Step by step process
- Wash the moong dal well and then soak it in fresh water for 2 to 4 hours. If making the chilla for breakfast, we could soak the moong dal overnight as well.
- When ready to grind, drain the moong dal.
- In a blender / mixer jar, add the drained moong dal, green chilies, red chilies, ginger and turmeric powder. Grind the mixture well without adding too much water. If we add a lot of water in the beginning, I find it hard to grind the batter smooth.
- Add water as needed when grinding and grind it into a smooth batter. Pour the ground batter in a bowl.
- Add salt needed to the batter and also add the grated carrots and cilantro. Add the chopped onions if using that as well. Mix well.
- Heat a cast iron tawa / pan or a non stick pan. Once it is hot, reduce the heat to medium and pour a ladle full of batter. Smear the batter in a circular motion spreading it to form a pancake / dosai.
- Drizzle about ½ teaspoon oil around the chilla evenly. Let it cook on this side and then flip the cheela to cook on the other side.
- Remove the moong dal chilla and serve hot with chutney.
Serving suggestions
I served the Moong dal chilla with spicy Kara Chutney last night for dinner. I love Cheela with some kind of spicy chutney or gothsu. Few other options that will work well -
Kothamalli Thuvayal / Cilantro Chutney
Vengayam Thakkali Kothamalli Chutney (Onion, tomato and cilantro chutney)
Omavalli Chutney / Ajwain leaves chutney
Expert tips
- Soak the moong dal for at least 2 to 3 hours.
- Add less water when grinding as that helps in making smooth batter.
- I added carrots and cilantro, but we could add onions for different flavor as well.
- I didn't use rice or rice flour in my Moong cheela batter. If you prefer crispier chilla, then soak 2 Tablespoon of rice along with the lentil or add 2 Tablespoon rice flour in the batter.
- I like using cast iron pan for even cooking of the cheela. We could use non stick griddle as well.
- Eat the chilla when warm. If making it ahead of time, store in a container covered with cotton cloth and a plate and then re heat before serving.
Frequently asked questions
If making ahead of time, make the chilla and then let them cool down to room temperature. Then store it in an air tight container. Before serving, we can stack them on a plate and cover with a slightly wet paper towel and reheat for a minute in the microwave.
If the pan is too hot, we will not be able to shape or spread on the pan. Make sure to cook the chilla in medium heat. Also if the batter is too thick, we might have a hard time to spread the batter.
We can store the batter in the refrigerator for a day or two.
More dosa recipes
If you made this recipe and liked it, give a star rating on the recipe card or let me know in the comments below. You could also share it with me on Instagram using #MyCookingJourney and tagging me @sandhya.ramakrishnan. You could follow me and my recipes on Facebook |Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter/X
Recipe Card
Recipe
Moong Dal Chilla | Moong Cheela
Equipment
- 1 bowl
- 1 Blender
- 1 Cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 cup Moong dal yellow skinless
- 2 Green Chilies
- 2 Red chilies
- 1 inch Ginger
- ¾ cup Carrot grated finely
- 3 Tablespoon Cilantro
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- to taste Salt
- 3 Tablespoon Oil I prefer Indian Gingelly oil (to cook the chilla)
Instructions
- Wash the moong dal well and then soak it in fresh water for 2 to 4 hours. If making the chilla for breakfast, we could soak the moong dal overnight as well.
- When ready to grind, drain the moong dal.
- In a blender / mixer jar, add the drained moong dal, green chilies, red chilies, ginger and turmeric powder.
- Grind the mixture well without adding too much water. If we add a lot of water in the beginning, I find it hard to grind the batter smooth. Add water as needed when grinding and grind it into a smooth batter. Pour the ground batter in a bowl.
- Add salt needed to the batter and also add the grated carrots and cilantro. Add the chopped onions if using that as well. Mix well.
- Heat a cast iron tawa / pan or a non stick pan. Once it is hot, reduce the heat to medium and pour a ladle full of batter. Smear the batter in a circular motion spreading it to form a pancake / dosai.
- Drizzle about ½ teaspoon oil around the chilla evenly. Let it cook on this side and then flip the cheela to cook on the other side.
- Remove the moong dal chilla and serve hot with chutney.
Notes
- Soak the moong dal for at least 2 to 3 hours.
- Add less water when grinding as that helps in making smooth batter.
- I added carrots and cilantro, but we could add onions for different flavor as well.
- I didn't use rice or rice flour in my Moong cheela batter. If you prefer crispier chilla, then soak 2 Tablespoon of rice along with the lentil or add 2 Tablespoon rice flour in the batter.
- I like using cast iron pan for even cooking of the cheela. We could use non stick griddle as well.
- Eat the chilla when warm. If making it ahead of time, store in a container covered with cotton cloth and a plate and then re heat before serving.
I made this for the family and everyone loved it! What a fabulous way to introduce new flavors to them. THis came out perfect!
We love it! Flavor-bursting and so delicious! 10/10!
What a tasty way to enjoy more lentils, they're so good for you!
These sounds like a tasty wrap for sandwiches, appetizers and more.
Nothing beats our idly/dosa for breakfast! Love this easy to make moong dal chilla. Love how versatile the recipe is, innumerable toppings and sides to serve! superb recipe sandhya!
Love the addition of grated carrots. I am sure these cheelas would have tasted great with that yummy chutney.