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Moong Dal Chilla (Savory Lentil Pancakes)
Moong dal Chilla, a beloved Indian breakfast dish, is a savory pancake made from yellow moong dal and Indian spices. Bursting with flavor and nutrition, it's a perfect recipe for busy people!
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Servings:
8
cheela
Calories:
92 kcal
Course:
Breakfast
Cuisine:
Indian
Ingredients
- 1 cup moong dal soak for 30 min -1 hr, raw, yellow
- 4 medium green chili it's very hot. adjust the heat
- 2 pinch asafoetida aka heeng
- ½ inch ginger root
- 10 tablespoon ghee desi variety
- 1 cup water fresh
- salt as per taste
- 2 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
Instructions
- Rinse yellow lentils several times till the water looks clean. Soak it for about 30 minutes - 1hr. You will observe that lentils have swollen and that's an indication that they are ready to be blended.
- In a large blender, add soaked dal, green chillies, and ginger root and blend for a minute or so till you get a smooth batter. You may add a little water in between the pulses. Transfer the contents of the blender to a large bowl. Add salt and spices and mix well. The batter would be thick and to make a thin chilla, you must add water little by little.
- On a hot Iron tawa (or non-stick pan), spread a little and wipe with a raw onion (you may use a kitchen cloth too). Spread a ladle full of moong dal batter, place it in the center, and spread it in a circular motion.Let it cook on slow to medium flame. You will observe the bubbles. Add drops of oil or ghee over the edges. Now, edges would come off from the tawa. You may use a knife to do that (Check Video) and then use a spatula to flip the cheela and cook it from the other side. Add more ghee to make a crispy cheela.For the next chilla, make sure to clean the tawa with onion and then start making it.
- Serve the hot and crispy Moong dal cheela with the green chutney of your choice. Feel free to stuff the cheela with paneer or cottage cheese and enjoy this protein packeed breakfast!
Cup of Yum
Notes
- Overnight soaking of lentils should be avoided especially in the summer. I have been making moong dal cheela for a long time and I always soak them in the morning at around 6 am and I make cheelas around 7:30 am. The lentils should ideally have absorbed the water and swollen up. We don't need fermentation for this recipe.
- The Iron Tawa is sticky IS A MYTH. In India, we use only Iron TAWAs and you just need to season it properly. Make sure to use clean Tawa and wipe it with a little oil and it should be hot. If it's not hot, the batter will stick. To check if it's hot, place your hand in the air the tawa and you should feel enough warmth to remove your hand. Use a raw onion to clean it every time you make the next chilla.