Moong dal chilla
Preparation Time
15 minutes
Cooking Time
30 minutes
Difficulty Level
easy
Meal Type
Breakfast
Serves 4
Key Ingredients
- Split moong dal (green chilka split or yellow)
About This Recipe
Chilla, also spelt cheela, is North India's answer to the dosa: a pancake from a ground pulse batter that needs no fermenting, made in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Punjab homes for breakfast and for tiffins. Besan chilla is the quick one, made from flour; moong dal chilla takes a soak and a grind and gives a softer, lighter pancake. It is built on moong dal ground from soaked dal rather than flour, which is what gives it a fresh, faintly sweet taste.
This recipe works with split moong dal of either kind. Green moong split with the skin (chilka) gives a green-speckled, slightly nutty chilla with more fibre; dehusked yellow moong dal gives a smooth, pale-yellow one. Both soak and grind the same way; the chilka just needs the full three hours. Ginger and green chilli go into the grinder so the batter carries the flavour, and turmeric and hing make it taste like a chilla rather than a pancake.
The texture depends on two things: a batter that pours like thick dosa batter, and a tawa that is hot but not smoking, so the chilla sets fast and stays soft inside with lacy brown edges. Fold it over crumbled paneer, grated carrot or sauteed onion for a filled chilla, or roll a plain one with green chutney for a lunchbox.
Ingredient List
Serving Size:
1x
2x
3x
Batter
- Split moong dal (green chilka split or yellow) — 1 cup
- Ginger, roughly chopped — 1 inch
- Green chillies — 2 pieces
- Cumin Seeds — 1/2 tsp
- Turmeric Powder — 1/4 tsp
- Hing (asafoetida) powder — 1 pinch
- Salt — 3/4 tsp
- Water, for grinding — 3/4 cup
Mix-ins
- Onion, finely chopped — 1 small
- Fresh coriander leaves, chopped — 3 tbsp
For cooking
- Groundnut oil — 2 tbsp
Filling (optional)
- Paneer, crumbled — 100 g
Skip The Store !
Get all you need for the recipe in just a few clicks
Serving Suggestions
Serve hot off the tawa with green coriander chutney, mint chutney or a bowl of curd; many children like it with tomato ketchup. A filled version, with crumbled paneer, chopped onion and coriander folded inside, is breakfast on its own. For a tiffin, roll a plain chilla around chutney and wrap it in foil; it stays soft for hours. Two chillas with chutney and a glass of chaas make a light dinner too.
Tips for Cooking Moong dal chilla
Grind the dal with as little water as possible first and thin the batter afterwards; a watery batter tears when you flip it. The batter should fall off the ladle in a thick ribbon, like dosa batter. Test the tawa with a sprinkle of water, which should sizzle at once, then lower the flame slightly before pouring; a smoking-hot tawa sets the batter before you can spread it. Let the edges lift before you flip.
Chef’s Note
Use dal that smells sweet and looks bright; old moong dal takes longer to soak and grinds gritty. Grind it fine with the ginger and chilli, and stir the onion and coriander in afterwards so the batter spreads evenly. Two plain chillas come to about 229 kcal and 11.9 g protein, with 4.7 g fibre, most of it from the dal; a paneer filling adds to that.
Per serving (approx.): 229 kcal, protein 12 g, carbs 26 g, fat 8.2 g, fibre 4.7 g. Computed from IFCT 2017 / USDA values for the listed quantities. Measures: 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 tbsp = 15 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml.
Happy Cooking
!!
ByCOWBERRY
Jul 17, 2026
Recipes You’ll Love
More everyday cooking with COWBERRY organics, from the same kitchen.
Preparation Time
35 Min
Cooking Time
20 Min
Difficulty Level
easy
Preparation Time
20 Min
Cooking Time
15 Min
Difficulty Level
easy
Preparation Time
45 Min
Cooking Time
45 Min
Difficulty Level
moderate