Split Green Moong Dal (Lentil) Chillas - 3 Ways

Split green moong dal (Lentil) Chilla is one of my favorite dish of all time. I have basically grown up having these protein packed chillas prepared by my mom. She prepared these Chillas in the most traditional way by grinding the dal in stone mortar and pastel, especially during the monsoon season. I have so many memories attached to this simple breakfast Chillas and also fried dal vadas (fritters) snacks! 

I have been preparing these Chillas at home for years now using mom's recipe. My toddler loves it too, especially when prepared with some delicious toppings. So, I have improvised the recipe a bit for kids by adding some tasty toppings. I have prepared these Chillas 3 ways - the basic Chilla, Tomato mozzarella Chilla and Onion Chilla - to please the taste buds of different age groups. 

These split green moong dal Chillas are not only gluten free but they are also vegan friendly. They are packed with protein, healthy carbs, fibers, Vitamin B, magnesium and many other minerals and essential amino acids that are essential for our body.

Important Notes/Tips

Be sure to soak the Split green moong dal (lentil) at least 4-6 hours and preferably overnight so that the dal (lentil) will soften up to grind into smooth batter.

I have used only 1 green chili for the recipe as I was preparing the Chillas for my toddler. But feel free to adjust the spice level per your taste.

I have prepared the batter in a food processor but you can also prepare it in a blender. You may have to blend it for a little longer to gain a smooth consistency depending on the type of blender.

To make this recipe completely vegan, just replace the dairy cheese with vegan cheese. 

Hing/asafoetida is an essential ingredient for the recipe, try not to skip it. It is easily available in any Indian grocery store or even on amazon. 

Split Green Moong Dal Chilla 

Prep time - 10 minutes

Cook time - 10 minutes

Yields - 6 to 8 Chillas

Ingredients 

1 Cup dry = 3 Cup soaked Split green moong dal/lentil (Soaked overnight or at least 6 hours) 

1 Green chili (Seeded)

1 Large piece Ginger

1/2 Tsp Hing/Asafoetida

1 Cup Cilantro (finely chopped)

1 Medium Tomato (Finely chopped)

1/2 Cup Mozzarella cheese 

1/2 Cup Red onion (Finely chopped)

Salt to taste

Water to prepare batter

Oil or Ghee to pan fry Chilla

Instructions  

Start by draining water from soaked Split green moong dal and adding it to a blender. Next add green chili, ginger, hing/asafoetida, half of the chopped cilantro and salt to moong dal. Adjust the quantity of green chilies as per your preference of spiciness. 

Now, blend everything to a smooth batter while adding water as necessary - the soaked split green moong dal already has some water content in it. So, add little water at a time. 

The batter should be thick but pouring consistency that can be spread over on a tawa/griddle. See the video for guidance. 

Now add few drops of oil and rub it over the tawa/griddle with a tissue. 

Heat up a tawa/griddle at medium high flame, it should be hot and ready to make Chillas. 

Turn heat down to medium, take ladle full of batter and pour it in the center of the tawa/griddle. Quickly spread the batter evenly in circular motion about 6 inches diameter, it should be slightly thick. See video for guidance.

From this point onwards, we can prepare the Chillas in 3 ways! 

for Basic Chillas

Drizzle some oil/ghee around the edges of Chilla, let it cook for 1-2 minutes. As the edges start leaving the sides, flip over the Chilla and cook for another minute. Fold the Chilla in half and the basic Split green moong dal (Lentil) Chillas are ready to serve.

for Tomato Mozzarella Chillas 

Sprinkle finely chopped tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and finely chopped cilantro over the Chilla. Drizzle some oil/ghee around the edges of Chilla and cover with a lid. Cook the Chilla for 2-3 minutes on medium flame until the cheese is nicely melted. We will not flip this Chilla because of the toppings in it. 

Fold the Chilla in half and delicious Tomato Mozzarella Chilla is ready to serve. 

for Onion Chillas

Sprinkle finely chopped red onions and cilantro over the Chilla. Drizzle some oil/ghee around the edges of Chilla and cover with a lid. Cook the Chilla for 1-2 minutes on medium flame. 

Fold the Chilla in half and tasty Onion Chilla is ready to serve. 

You can serve the Split green moong dal (Lentil) Chillas with green chutney or ketchup. We love these delicious protein packed Chillas for our morning breakfast or evening snack.