This moong dal chilla recipe turns soaked yellow moong dal into thin, golden savoury pancakes with soft edges and crisp spots, folded around a spiced paneer filling. Moong dal cheela is a North Indian breakfast staple: no fermentation, a short soak, a quick grind, and the batter is ready.
The difference between a chilla that tears and one that slides off the tawa in one piece is mostly in the soak time, the grind and the heat of the pan. Below you will find the exact water for a pourable batter, how to spread it, and a green moong pesarattu version for days when you want something more rustic.
3 hr 40 minServes 4Vegetarian280 kcal
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Recipe card
Moong Dal Chilla with Paneer Stuffing
Thin yellow moong dal pancakes cooked with very little oil and folded around a lightly spiced paneer and onion filling.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Soaking the dal
- 3 hr
- Total
- 3 hr 40 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Makes 8 chillas
Chilla batter
- 1 cup yellow moong dal (dhuli moong)rinsed and soaked 3 to 4 hours
- 1 inch gingerroughly chopped
- 2 green chillies
- ½ tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
- hing (asafoetida)
- saltabout 1 tsp
- ½ cup waterfor grinding, plus 2 to 4 tbsp to adjust
- 2 tbsp coriander leavesfinely chopped
Paneer stuffing
- 100 g paneercrumbled
- 1 small onionfinely chopped
- ½ small capsicumfinely chopped
- ¼ tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp chaat masalaor roasted cumin powder
- salta pinch, paneer needs very little
For cooking
- 4 tsp oil or gheeabout 1/2 tsp per chilla
You will need
- Mixer grinder
- Non-stick or well seasoned iron tawa
- Flat ladle (katori) and spatula
Method
Soak the dal
Rinse the moong dal 2 or 3 times until the water runs almost clear, then soak in plenty of water for 3 to 4 hours. The grains should swell and break easily when pressed between your fingers. Do not soak beyond 6 hours or the batter can turn slightly sour.
Grind the batter
Drain the dal and add it to the mixer jar with ginger, green chillies, jeera and hing. Grind with 1/2 cup water to a smooth batter, scraping down once. It should feel silky between your fingers with only a faint grit.
Adjust the consistency
Stir in salt and chopped coriander. Add water a tablespoon at a time until the batter coats the back of a spoon and flows slowly, like dosa batter. Too thick and the chilla stays raw inside; too thin and it tears when you flip it.
Mix the stuffing
In a small bowl, combine the crumbled paneer, onion, capsicum, chilli powder, chaat masala and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust. Keep it dry, without any water or lemon, so it does not make the chilla soggy.
Heat the tawa
Heat the tawa on medium heat until a few drops of water sprinkled on it sizzle and vanish within 2 seconds. Wipe it with a few drops of oil on a folded tissue or half an onion. Lower the heat slightly before pouring.
Spread the chilla
Pour about 1/3 cup batter in the centre and spread it in quick circles with the back of the ladle into a 7 to 8 inch round. Drizzle 1/4 tsp oil around the edge. Cook for 1.5 to 2 minutes until the top looks set and dry and the edges lift.
Flip and stuff
Flip it and cook the second side for 1 minute with another 1/4 tsp oil. Turn it back over, spoon 2 to 3 tbsp of the paneer filling along one half, fold and press lightly. Cook for 30 seconds more so the paneer warms through.
Repeat and serve
Wipe the tawa with a damp cloth or sprinkle water and let it evaporate between chillas so the next one spreads easily. Serve hot with green chutney or curd.
Tips that make the difference
- Stir the batter before each chilla. Ground dal settles at the bottom of the bowl and the last chillas come out thick.
- If the first chilla sticks, the tawa was either too cool or too hot. Adjust the flame and re-grease, the second one usually behaves.
- Keep the stuffing finely chopped. Big chunks of onion tear the chilla when you fold it.
- For softer chillas for children, cover the tawa with a lid for 30 seconds after spreading.
- Leftover batter keeps in the fridge for a day; loosen it with a spoon of water before using.
Storing: Chillas are best hot. Cooked chillas without the stuffing keep in the fridge for a day; reheat on a warm tawa for 30 seconds a side. Unused batter keeps in a covered box in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Why this moong dal chilla recipe works
Yellow moong dal is split and dehusked, so it softens in a few hours and grinds into a smooth batter without any rice or flour. That smooth batter is what lets you spread a thin round that crisps at the edge yet stays soft in the middle. Ginger, hing and jeera go straight into the grinder, so every bite is seasoned with the flavours that suit moong best.
With the paneer filling, the computed nutrition for this recipe comes to about 17 g protein per serving of 2 chillas, which makes it a high protein vegetarian breakfast without any protein powder. Without the paneer, expect closer to 12 g.
Soaking and grinding: the two steps that matter
Under soaked dal grinds into a coarse, sandy batter that breaks on the tawa. Over soaked dal, left for 8 hours or more in a warm kitchen, starts to ferment and the chillas brown too fast. Three to four hours is the sweet spot for yellow moong. In winter, use lukewarm water to soak.
Grind with only half a cup of water at first. A thick grind gets smoother because the dal rubs against itself; adding too much water at the start makes the blades spin without breaking the grains. Thin the batter afterwards in the bowl.
If you forgot to soak, pour boiling water over the dal and leave it for 45 minutes. The batter will be slightly grainier but still cooks well.
Pesarattu: the green moong version
Pesarattu is the Andhra cousin of moong chilla, made with whole green moong instead of yellow dal. It has a deeper, earthier taste, a green colour and a crisper texture, and it is cooked thinner, like a dosa.
Pesarattu batter recipe: soak 1 cup whole green moong (about 200 g) with 2 tbsp raw rice for 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Drain and grind with 1 inch ginger, 2 to 3 green chillies, 1/2 tsp jeera, salt and about 3/4 cup water to a batter slightly thinner than the yellow dal batter. Spread it thin on a hot tawa, scatter finely chopped onion and a little ginger on top, drizzle oil, and cook on one side until the base is crisp and brown. Fold and serve with ginger chutney (allam pachadi). In Andhra homes it is often filled with upma; our rava upma works well for that.
The pesarattu recipe in Telugu homes and the version made in Tamil kitchens are both made this way, sometimes without the rice for a softer texture.
Other moong chilla variations
- Green moong chilla (whole moong dal chilla recipe): use the pesarattu batter above but spread it a little thicker, cook on both sides with onion and tomato on top, North Indian style.
- Chilka moong dal chilla: split green moong with the skin on soaks in 3 to 4 hours like yellow dal and gives a speckled, slightly nuttier chilla.
- Sprouted moong chilla: grind 1.5 cups moong sprouts with ginger and chilli and 2 tbsp besan or rice flour to bind. No soaking is needed, so it is quick if you keep sprouts ready.
- Vegetable moong chilla: stir 1/2 cup grated carrot, finely chopped spinach or grated lauki (squeezed) into the batter instead of using a filling.
For a no soak option made from flour, see the besan chilla page, and for a steamed snack from the same dal, the dhokla page has a moong dal version.
Moong dal chilla recipe for weight loss: what actually helps
No single food makes you lose weight, but a moong dal chilla breakfast has things going for it if you are watching portions. Dal and paneer give protein that keeps you full through the morning, and the chillas need only about half a teaspoon of oil each on a good tawa.
- Stick to 2 chillas with the filling and add a bowl of curd or a fruit, rather than 4 plain ones.
- Use a non-stick or well seasoned iron tawa so you need less oil.
- Load the batter with vegetables like spinach, grated carrot or lauki to add volume.
- Choose low fat paneer or replace half the paneer with crumbled tofu or moong sprouts if you want fewer calories.
For other light breakfasts that use the same principles, browse our breakfast ideas or try savoury masala oats.
Problems and fixes
| Problem | Why it happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Chilla sticks and tears | Tawa not hot enough or not greased | Heat until water sizzles, grease, then lower the flame a little |
| Breaks when flipping | Batter too thin or flipped too early | Add 1 tbsp besan or rice flour; wait until the edges lift |
| Raw and pasty inside | Spread too thick or heat too high | Spread thinner, cook on medium, cover for 30 seconds |
| Batter grainy | Dal under soaked or ground with too much water | Soak longer next time; grind thick first, then thin |
| Bitter or sour taste | Dal soaked too long in a warm room | Keep soaking to 4 hours or refrigerate while soaking |
Moong dal chilla recipe in Hindi and serving ideas
For those who want the moong dal chilla recipe in Hindi terms: it is मूंग दाल चीला, made from dhuli moong dal (धुली मूंग दाल), adrak (ginger), hari mirch (green chilli) and jeera. The moong dal ka chilla recipe, the moong chilla recipe in Hindi and the moong dal cheela recipe in Hindi you may have seen all follow this same method. Serve it with hari chutney (green chutney), a tangy tomato chutney, or thick curd with a pinch of roasted jeera. Moong dal cheela also makes a good lunchbox roll: spread chutney on a cooked chilla, add the paneer filling and a few cucumber sticks, and roll it tight in foil.
Questions cooks ask
How long should I soak moong dal for chilla?
Soak yellow moong dal for 3 to 4 hours. Whole green moong for pesarattu needs 6 to 8 hours or overnight. If you are short on time, a 45 minute soak in boiling water works for yellow dal.
Can I make moong dal chilla without soaking?
You can use moong dal flour if you have it: mix 1 cup flour with water to a pourable batter and rest it for 10 minutes. Whole dal really does need soaking to grind smooth.
Why does my moong dal chilla break?
Usually the batter is too thin, the tawa is not hot enough, or you flipped too soon. Wait until the top looks dry and the edges lift on their own. A spoon of besan or rice flour in the batter also helps it hold together.
Is moong dal chilla high in protein?
With the paneer filling in this recipe, one serving of 2 chillas works out to about 17 g protein. Plain chillas without paneer give about 12 g per serving, which is still a good amount for breakfast.
What is the difference between moong dal chilla and pesarattu?
Moong dal chilla is usually made from yellow split moong and cooked on both sides. Pesarattu uses whole green moong, often with a little rice, and is spread thin and crisp like a dosa, then topped with onion and ginger.
Can I make the batter the night before?
Yes. Grind it, cover it and keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Add salt just before cooking, and loosen the batter with a little water because it thickens overnight.