Moong Dal Chilla is a healthy, vegetarian, gluten-free and vegan Indian Pancake made with split yellow lentils, spinach and spices. These egg-free savory pancakes taste delicious when served with chutney and tomato ketchup. Serve as breakfast, pack for kids lunch box or serve as after school snack.
If lentils don’t excite you, this recipe might just change your mind. Try this easy Indian Breakfast or Snack recipe called Moong Dal Chilla or Cheela made with split skinless mung beans or yellow lentils.
Think of Cheela, Chilla or Pudla as a vegetarian version of omelet. Instead of eggs, chilla is made using soaked and ground lentils or flours. Chilla can be either stuffed or served plain. It is totally customizable and requires very little prep work.
The pancakes are healthy, nutritious and extremely filling. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch box, kids lunch box at school or after school snack. To be honest, the husband and I love them for dinner as well.
These pancakes don’t use processed flour or eggs. The batter can be made-ahead and stored in the refrigerator. You should definitely check out the “Variations” if you are looking to make this a staple breakfast option at home.
Once the batter is ready, making the chilla or cheela takes hardly any time.
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About Chilla / Cheela
Chilla or Cheela (savory pancake) is made with lentils or chickpea flour. It is a popular Indian breakfast recipe made in almost every Indian home once or twice a week.
Chilla can be savory and sweet both. Oats Chilla, Sprouts Chilla and Vella Dosai (thick jaggery dosa made with wheat flour) are some of the varieties we love at home.
Moong Cheela is gluten-free and vegan. You can also try different toppings or turn it into a wrap with a filling.
Split skinless Mung beans or yellow lentils (moong dal) is highly recommended by Ayurveda. It is light on the stomach and easy to digest. Moong Dal served with Rice or Moong Dal Khichdi is a staple Indian Vegetarian main course.
Ingredients
Moong Dal – Lentils are rinsed and soaked for 2 hours. A smooth batter is made by grinding the lentils in a mixer grinder jar or blender.
Spinach – Adds color, health and nutrition. Perfect way to sneak leafy greens for the picky eaters (that includes adults as well).
You can substitute Spinach or Palak with Kale, Collard Greens, a mix of cilantro and dill leaves.
Rice Flour – Makes the chilla crispy and light. Rice Flour is naturally gluten-free. I would not recommend plain flour or corn flour as a substitute as it affects the taste.
In case you don’t find rice flour easily in the supermarkets near you, substitute with a pinch of baking soda. (Read notes in the recipe card below)
Seeds – Flax and Sesame Seeds
Spices – Red Chili and Turmeric. Turmeric gives that gorgeous yellow color to the chilla batter.
Step-wise Recipe
Rinse and soak 1 cup of Moong Dal in water for 2 hours.
Drain the water completely, add the moong dal to a blender / mixer grinder jar with 1 cup of water and blend to a smooth paste.
Remove the batter into a bowl, add finely chopped onions, rice flour, spinach, seeds, spices and salt to taste.
Mix well using a whisk, add water to adjust consistency. Once the batter is ready, allow it to rest for 5-10 mins.
Heat a pan, pour 1-2 ladles of the batter and spread it clockwise, until it forms a round shape. Drizzle oil on the sides and center. Allow it to cook for a couple of minutes.
Once the edges and base has turned brown and crisp, flip the chilla and cook on the other side for 1-2 minutes, until it is done.
Making ahead the Cheela Batter
Just follow the steps upto soaking and grinding. Once the batter is ready, store in an airtight container and refrigerate it.
Add the rest of the ingredients, including rice flour, spices, salt etc when you are ready to cook pancakes, the next morning.
Variations
Stuffed Moong Chilla - You can serve the chilla with a filling of paneer bhurji (scrambled cottage cheese), Spinach + Mushrooms and Cheese etc.
Vegetable Chilla – The best way to sneak vegetables and make the chilla filling is to include vegetables. Carrot, steamed peas or corn, finely chopped green beans and bell pepper are some of the veggies with which you can experiment.
Ditch your regular tortilla wraps and serve Moong Dal Chilla instead. Use homemade spread or hummus.
Stuff the wraps with roasted cauliflower, broccoli etc. Veggie patties are also a great idea for stuffing.
Serving Suggestion & Storage
If packing the cheela for kids lunch box, allow it to cool completely before wrapping. Cheelas, when packed hot, turn soggy.
For toddlers, you can make small coin size cheela or use a cookie cutter to make interesting shapes and pack in lunch box. This is a nut-free recipe. However, it contains seeds which can be optional.
The batter stays fresh, under refrigeration for 48 hours or more, depending on weather conditions.
This recipe is a life-saver for bachelors as you can batch cook cheelas and store in the refrigerator.
The cooked Cheela stays fresh, under refrigeration, in an airtight box for more than 3-4 days. Re-heat in a microwave.
Moong Dal Chilla tastes best with Cilantro Mint Chutney or Green Chutney, Tomato Ketchup followed by a piping hot cup of Masala Chai / Coffee.
On hot days, it makes a light lunch with a side of salad, a glass of fresh lemonade or smoothie of your choice.
Other Breakfast / Snack Recipes
This post was originally published in August 2018. I have updated the recipe with fresh content and step-wise photos.
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Moong Dal Chilla Recipe (With Spinach)
Equipment
- Mixer Grinder or High Speed Blender
- Non-Stick Pan or Griddle / Tawa
- Bowls, Spoons, Whisk, spatula
Ingredients
- 1 cup Moong Dal
- 1 ¾ cup Water Read Notes below
- 2 tablespoon Rice Flour
- 1 Onion large, finely chopped
- 1 cup Spinach tightly packed cup, finely chopped spinach
- 1 tablespoon Flax Seeds Alsi
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds
- 2-3 Green Chilies finely chopped (optional)
- Salt to taste
- Oil to cook Chilla or use ghee
Instructions
- Rinse and soak 1 cup of Moong Dal in sufficient water for 2 hours.
- Drain the water completely, add the moong dal to a blender / mixer grinder jar with 1 cup of water and blend to a smooth paste.
- Remove the batter into a bowl, add finely chopped onions, rice flour, spinach, seeds, spices and salt to taste.
- Mix well using a whisk, add water (approx 3/4 cup) to adjust consistency. Once the batter is ready, let it rest for 5-10mins.
- Heat a pan, pour 1-2 ladles of the batter and spread it clockwise, until it forms a round shape. Drizzle oil on the sides and center. Allow it to cook for a couple of minutes.
- Once the edges and base has turned brown and crisp, flip the chilla and cook on the other side for 1-2 minutes, until it is done.
- Serve hot / warm with cilantro mint chutney and / or tomato ketchup.
Notes
- Other than Moong Dal, Chilla can be made using Masoor Dal and Toor Dal. Masoor dal requires about 2 hours whereas the soaking time for toor dal (split pigeon pea) is 3 hours.
- Use a high speed blender or Mixer grinder jar to blend the batter. It should be smooth to touch. No coarse bits.
- Water - I have used 1 & 3/4 cup water. 1 cup was used to grind/blend the lentils whereas 3/4 cup was used to adjust batter consistency.
- You can substitute Spinach or Palak with Kale, Collard Greens, a mix of cilantro and dill leaves.
- Rice Flour – Makes the chilla crispy and light. Rice Flour is naturally gluten-free. I would not recommend plain flour or corn flour as a substitute as it affects the taste.
- In case you don’t find rice flour in the supermarkets near you, feel free to skip the ingredient and add a pinch of baking soda. Baking soda makes the batter light.
- Just follow the steps upto soaking and grinding. Once the batter is ready, store in an airtight container and refrigerate it.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, including onion, rice flour, spices, salt etc. when ready to cook pancakes.
- If packing the cheela for kids lunch box, allow it to cool completely before wrapping. Cheelas, when packed hot, turn soggy.
- For toddlers, you can make small coin size cheela or use a cookie cutter to make interesting shapes and pack in lunch box. This is a nut-free recipe. However, it contains seeds which can be optional.
- The batter stays fresh, under refrigeration for 48 hours or more, depending on weather conditions.
- The cooked Cheela stays fresh, under refrigeration, in an airtight box for more than 3-4 days. Re-heat in a microwave.
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We will be back again with yet another exciting recipe .. Until then, stay healthy and happy!
Vidya Narayan
Wonderful. Will definitely try this one as I was looking for non fermented breakfast options. Thanks for sharing ?
Thats great to know and hope you enjoy this Deepika!
Woow..Nice recipe dear
thank you so much
I really admire you that you are able to make such a filling breakfast in the morning - And present it in such a nice way!! I feel embarrassed to say that we just have cereal or fruit with yogurt for breakfast.
Nah! Never be embarrassed and I am certainly not judgmental on that front. When I was working, I had my short cut ways too. haha.. As long as its healthy, its okay! Thanks dear.
Looks delicious Vidya.....It is one of my preferred breakfasts too !! I also like to add some ground oats to the batter which makes it even more healthier...
Oats sounds healthy too. I make a lot of variations too with this, add millet flours etc .. everyday some new idea to feed healthy food to family. ha ha. thanks Anshu.
Interesting Vidya
Thanks a ton!
Lovely way of serving cheelas.. we can relish these pinwheels as a snack with drinks too.
absolutely Shobhaji .. I agree! Thanks
This is amazing Divya, love the idea of making pinwheels, very innovative...keep rock on??
Thank you my dear, glad you liked it.
These look perfect for serving with cocktails!
That's a wonderful idea! Cheers!
Interesting 🙂 Nice share !!!
Thanks a ton!
Sounds yum and healthy!
thanks
Going to give these a try this week. 🙂 Would you say the flax and sesame are necessary? I'm going to be suggesting these for someone with digestive issues.
Mindy, No the flax and sesame seeds aren't necessary. Feel free to skip it. I am glad to hear that you will be trying the recipe. Please feel free to share your feedback. Cheers, Vidya