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    Home > Indian Vegan Recipes

    Sprouted Moong Chilla

    Posted: Feb 6, 2022 ยท Updated: Mar 30, 2022

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    Image of cheelas on plate with text inlay that says "sprouted moong chilla"

    A delicious, crispy-around-the-edges moong chilla that's packed with veggies and all that's good for you!

    A Moong chilla (cheela) is a savory Indian style lentil or bean pancake that's slightly thicker than a crepe or dosa and studded with vegetables. It is usually made with moong dal or mung lentils, but I make mine with sprouted mung beans for an extra nutrition bump. This is a delicious recipe to serve for breakfast or for a light lunch or dinner. Pair it with coconut chutney or eat it by itself. The chilla is gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free and vegan, and you can add your favorite veggies to it.

    Overhead shot of three sprouted moong chillas in a black plate with coconut chutney.


    If you've eaten a Besan Chilla, an eggless, protein-rich "omelet" from north India, you will love this Sprouted Moong Chilla, an even more nutritious version made with sprouted mung beans or whole moong.

    A chilla (also called a cheela or a puda or a pudla) is delicious and it takes barely any time and skill to put it together (other than a day and a half required to sprout the beans, which is hands-off time). The result is a rewarding, healthy breakfast or light lunch/dinner you are certain to enjoy and make over and over.

    You can make this recipe with plain moong dal, which are small yellow lentils, and I will include instructions for it. But sprouting the beans is so easy and you don't need any special equipment--I do it with a colander and a bowl. And moong beans sprout so easily, requiring less than two days in a temperate winter kitchen. In case you've never sprouted beans before, I will show you how to do that as well.

    Sprouting breaks down the amino acids in beans, making their protein content more available to the body. It also reduces the carbohydrate content of beans because the bean uses up a good amount of energy to sprout. Sprouting increases the Vitamin B and Vitamin C content of beans, and what's more, sprouted beans are far more easily digested by the body than the unsprouted legume. Sprouted beans are a healthy food for diabetics as well. And they are a cook's friend because they cook faster.

    Sprouting is so easy, even a kid could do it. In fact, if you have kids, this is a fun project to do with them.

    Table of Contents
    • Why you'll love this sprouted moong chilla
    • How to easily sprout mung beans
    • Ingredients
    • Suggestions for other veggie additions
    • How to make the moong chilla
    • FAQs
    • Related recipes
    • Sprouted Moong Chilla

    Why you'll love this sprouted moong chilla

    • It's delicious. The chilla is savory and slightly spicy and hot off the griddle it tastes absolutely amazing, especially when dunked into a coconut chutney.
    • It's so healthy. Sprouts are among the healthiest foods you can eat. I added to this recipe grated carrots and radishes. You can add veggies of your choice (use quick-cooking veggies like cabbage, bell peppers, zucchini and leafy greens). Kids will barely notice they are there as they wolf the chillas down. If you follow an ayurvedic diet, you already know that sprouted moong beans are tridoshic, meaning they are helpful for balancing all three doshas, vata, pitta, and kapha. These are also fantastically low-carb, so if you eat a low-carb diet you can enjoy these chillas as well.
    • It's everyone friendly. The chilla is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free. And, like I said, it is also low-carb and immensely kid friendly.
    • It's easy to make. You don't need much skill to make a chilla other than an ability to blend, grate a few veggies and pour the batter into a hot skillet or griddle. If you know how to make a pancake you can make a chilla.

    How to easily sprout mung beans

    • You will need the whole mung bean--the one with a green skin -- for sprouting. Don't use the split lentils. Pick over the beans for any impurities like little pebbles or visibly spoilt beans. Place the beans in a colander and wash them thoroughly in a few changes of water.
    • Place the washed beans in a bowl large enough to hold them and twice their volume in water. Immerse the beans completely in room-temperature water, top off by three or four inches more, and then let them sit overnight or for eight hours. By this time they will have soaked in a lot of water and will have almost doubled in volume.
    • Pour the soaked beans in the colander and let the water drain out. Now cover the colander with a kitchen towel (I keep the colander over the bowl to catch any drips) and place on your kitchen counter or anywhere in the house where it's comfortably warm but not in direct sunlight.
    • After 12 hours or shake them around in the colander, hands-free if possible or delicately so as to not break any tender sprouts, rinse them off, and cover again with the towel and set aside. You might need to do this one more time after 12 more hours have passed. The mung bean sprouts should be ready in a day or, at best, two days. You don't need the sprouts to be super long --you just want tiny white sprouts that are a couple of millimeters.
    Front partial shot of golden brown moong cheelas in a black plate with chutney.

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup whole moong beans. Sprout the beans per directions above or, if you are an experienced sprouter, use any method you desire. To make moong dal chillas with mung lentils use 1 cup moong dal and soak for 8 hours.
    • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste. If you don't have ginger garlic paste chop four cloves of garlic and a one-inch piece of ginger and add to the blender.
    • ยฝ teaspoon turmeric
    • 1-2 green chilli peppers, like serrano or jalapeno. Deseed or use only one or half pepper if sensitive to heat or making this for kids. You can even skip the chili peppers entirely and use a dash of black pepper instead.
    • 2 tablespoons rice flour. This is not absolutely necessary but it helps make the chillas extra crispy so use it if you can.
    • 2 tablespoons cilantro (coriander leaves). You can use more or less. I love cilantro here and use nearly ยผ cup.
    • Vegetables: 1 large carrot and 6 small radishes. If using a daikon radish just ยฝ grated cup. See tips below on other veggies you can use here. Always chop the veggies fine or grate them for best results and to keep the batter spreadable.
    • Salt to taste
    • Vegetable oil or cooking spray

    Suggestions for other veggie additions

    • Bell peppers (capsicum, any color)
    • Spring onions
    • Spinach or any leafy greens
    • Zucchini
    • Mushrooms
    • Corn kernels
    • Beetroot (and/or finely chopped beet greens)
    Front shot of a black plate with three moong chillas and coconut chutney in a white bowl.

    How to make the moong chilla

    • Sprout the beans or, if using moong dal or lentils soak the lentils overnight or for 8 hours.
    • Place the beans or lentils, all water drained out, in a blender with the ginger garlic paste, green chili peppers, turmeric and salt. Add ยพth cup of water and blend or grind into a very smooth batter. You can add ยผth cup more water if needed--the batter should be fairly runny, thicker than a crepe batter but thinner than a pancake batter. The veggies will also express some water into the batter, so keep that in mind.
    • Place the batter in a bowl and stir in the rice flour.
    Sprouted mung beans.
    Mung beans in blender with spices and salt.
    Moong chilla batter ground into a smooth paste in bowl.
    rice flour added to moong dal cheela batter.
    • Next stir in the grated carrot and radishes or whatever veggies you are using, and finally add the cilantro. Taste and add more salt if you want at this time.
    • Set the batter aside for 30 minutes. This will allow some time for the veggies to express any liquid into the batter.
    Veggies like carrots and radishes mixed in moong dal cheela batter.
    Veggies in moong chilla batter.
    • Heat a cast iron or non stick griddle and brush on some oil or cooking spray.
    • Use a heat-proof ladle to pour approximately ยฝ cup batter on the ladle. I pour about ยผ cup first, spread it around with the rounded bottom of the ladle, then add the remaining ยผ cup to shape the chilla into a circle as best as I can. You want the chilla to be fairly thin but it doesn't have to be perfectly round. If it is really hard to spread the batter on the hot griddle you might need to add more water to the batter to get the right consistency. A tip I want to share here is to make these smaller when you first make this recipe--this will make the process far easier and you will get better with practice.
    • Let the chilla cook on the griddle about two to three minutes over medium heat or until the bottom is golden and the edges are crispy. Flip over and cook for another minute or two.
    Chilla cooking on griddle.
    Golden moong chilla cooking on cast iron skillet.

    FAQs

    Is a moong chilla good for weight loss?

    Moong dal chillas are often touted as a weight loss food and they really can be a helpful aid in both a healthy or a weight-loss journey. The sprouted chilla is even better for you with just 99 calories in each pancake. There are also four grams of protein, three grams of fiber and just 10 grams of net carbs in one chilla. Use cooking spray instead of vegetable oil to coat the griddle and keep calories even lower.

    What should I serve with the moong cheela?

    The chilla is absolutely delicious served hot withย coconutย chutney.
    You can also serve the chilla with anย Indian pickleย or aย vegan raita.
    Some kids love this with tomato ketchup. Or just eat the cheela by itself.

    How do I store the moong chillas?

    Make as many chillas as you need and store the batter in the fridge for up to three days, then make the chillas fresh whenever you want to eat them.
    I don't recommend storing the chillas after making them, but you can do it. Just refrigerate them in a dish covered with cling wrap or a container for up to three days. Warm on a griddle before serving.

    Related recipes

    • Moonglet, a vegan mung bean omelet
    • Sprouted Mung Bean Salad
    • Sprouted Mung Bean Burgers
    • Easy Bean Sprouts Curry
    • Instant Pot Khichdi with Mung Bean Sprouts
    Front shot of three moong chillas in a black plate with partial view of a white bowl with coconut chutney.
    Sprouted moong chillas in a plate with coconut chutney in a bowl.

    Sprouted Moong Chilla

    A Moong chilla (cheela) is a savory Indian style lentil pancake that's slightly thicker than a crepe or dosa and studded with vegetables. It is usually made with moong dal or mung lentils, but I make mine with sprouted mung beans for an extra nutrition bump. This is a delicious recipe to serve for breakfast or for a light lunch or dinner. Pair it with coconut chutney or eat it by itself. The chilla is gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free and vegan, and you can add your favorite veggies to it.
    5 from 17 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Review Recipe
    Course: Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch/Dinner, Snack
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Keyword: Moong Chilla
    Prep Time: 15 mins
    Cook Time: 15 mins
    Sprouting time: 1 d 12 hrs
    Total Time: 1 d 12 hrs 30 mins
    Servings: 12 chillas
    Calories: 90kcal
    Author: Vaishali ยท Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes

    Equipment

    • 1 cast iron griddle or non stick pan or skillet
    • 1 Large bowl
    • 1 Colander (for sprouting beans)

    Ingredients 
    US Customary - Metric

    • 1 cup whole moong beans (sprouted per directions above. For a moong dal cheela, made with mung lentils, you can soak the lentils for eight hours and use, no sprouting required)
    • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste (If you don't have ginger garlic paste chop four cloves of garlic and a one-inch piece of ginger and add to the blender instead of the paste)
    • 1-2 green chillies
    • ยฝ teaspoon turmeric
    • 2 tablespoon rice flour (If low carb you can use tapioca flour or skip altogether)
    • 2 tablespoon cilantro (finely chopped)
    • 1 large carrot (grated using the side with the largest-size slots on your grater-- you don't want this to be too fine)
    • 6 radishes (grated. If using a daikon radish use ยฝ cup of the grated radish)
    • Salt to taste
    • 2 tablespoon vegetable oil (or cooking spray, for coating the griddle or skillet)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Place the beans or lentils, all water drained out, in a blender with the ginger garlic paste, green chili peppers, turmeric and salt. Add ยพth cup of water and blend into a very smooth batter. You can add ยผth cup more water if needed--the batter should be fairly runny, thicker than a crepe batter but thinner than a pancake batter. The veggies will also express some water into the batter, so keep that in mind.
    • Place the batter in a bowl and stir in the rice flour.
    • Next stir in the veggies and finally add the cilantro. Taste and add more salt if you want at this time.
    • Set the batter aside for 30 minutes. This will allow some time for the veggies to express any liquid into the batter.
    • Heat a cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until water sprinkled on the surface skitters off and dries up immediately. Brush on some vegetable oil or spray with cooking spray.
    • Use a heat-proof ladle to pour approximately ยฝ cup batter on the ladle. I pour about ยผ cup first, spread it around with the rounded bottom of the ladle, then add the remaining ยผ cup to shape the chilla into a circle as best as I can. You want the chilla to be fairly thin but it doesn't have to be perfectly round. If it is really hard to spread the batter on the hot griddle you might need to add more water to the batter.
    • Let the chilla cook on the griddle about two to three minutes over medium heat or until the bottom is golden and the edges are crispy. Flip over and cook for another minute or two.

    Recipe notes

    • Make the chillas smaller when you first make this recipe--this will make the process far easier and you will get better at shaping them with practice. This is a rustic food, so it doesn't have to look perfect.
    • Always chop or grate the veggies fine before adding them to the batter and rest the batter for 30 minutes for the veggies to express any liquid.
    • If you are serving this to kids or someone who cannot tolerate heat skip the green chillies and add a dash of black pepper instead.
    • The chilla is absolutely delicious served hot withย coconutย chutney.
    • You can also serve the chilla with anย Indian pickleย or aย vegan raita, or just eat it by itself.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1chilla | Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 242mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1027IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment and recipe rating below!
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    About Vaishali


    I cook and eat simple, tasty and nutritious plant-based food in my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. Read more about me here.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Stevie

      February 07, 2022 at 8:07 pm

      Thank you for the recipe!

      Reply
    2. Dido

      February 06, 2022 at 2:43 pm

      Vaishali: Thank you for posting the recipe on the sprouts. A question ... quantity-wise, how much does 1 cup of mung beans increase to when sprouted? Thanks, Dido.

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        February 06, 2022 at 2:57 pm

        Hi Dido, I'd say about three cups, approximately.

        Reply
    3. Chandrashekhar

      June 17, 2021 at 6:15 am

      Are you sure 1 chilla has 61kcal??

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        June 17, 2021 at 9:14 am

        I use an online calculator so there's no way for me to be 100 percent sure, you can do the same by plugging in the ingredients if you'd like to verify.

        Reply
    4. Pramilla Karnad

      October 18, 2020 at 10:00 pm

      5 stars
      I've been making sprouted moong chillas for a long time. A real nutritious breakfast . Thank ufor the tip about adding chopped veggies. I normally add only onions & coriander leaves. Am making them today. !

      Reply
    5. Taranjeet Kaur

      July 27, 2020 at 7:29 am

      Hi....can I avoid rice flour??

      Reply
      • Ananda

        August 02, 2020 at 10:08 pm

        Yes. Sub with more chickpea flour. It will be less crispy

        Reply
    6. Trisha

      August 12, 2018 at 6:27 am

      How long do the sprouted mung last in the fridge?

      Reply
      • Chitra

        May 06, 2019 at 12:55 pm

        I have for upto 4 days without losing any of its goodness

        Reply
    7. Alpa Jani

      May 07, 2018 at 1:02 am

      5 stars
      Lovely recipe. I tried sprouted moong Chilla and it tastes so yummy! Many blessings to you for sharing a very healthy recipe. Love.

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        May 08, 2018 at 8:43 pm

        So happy you liked it, Alpa!

        Reply
        • Veronica

          May 02, 2020 at 12:26 am

          5 stars
          Hi Vaishali
          Thanks for the recipe. It's a big hit in my family. Love the write up before the recipe too!
          Cheers.

          Reply
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    Vaishali Honawar, Holy Cow Vegan author, profile photo

    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

    More about me โ†’

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    Vaishali Honawar, Holy Cow Vegan author, profile photo

    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

    More about me โ†’

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