Moonglets or mung bean omelettes are vegan pancakes made with moong dal or split green gram. The recipe is super easy and really tasty too.
It is also known as moong dal chilla or cheela in India. We grew up eating this regularly for breakfast. I still make it for my boys at home, and it is a favourite. Perfect for breakfast, evening snack or even a light meal.
You may also like: Lentil Omelette, Idli recipe, Rava Dosa, Besan Cheela, Medu Vada.
Ingredients
1. Moong dal: I use 1 cup moong dal or split mung beans. It is the base of our pancake.
2. Vegetables: I use finely chopped onion, green chilli and chopped cilantro. You can also use finely chopped mushroom, peppers, corn, spinach, grated carrot as per your like and availability.
3. Spices: I use turmeric and red chilli powder to flavour the moonglet. Ginger is used as well.
4. Baking soda: This is optional. If you like your moonglet fluffy, I suggest you use ¼ tsp. I prefer it without.
5. Oil: Use olive oil for shallow frying
6. Salt: To enhance the flavor, salt is used.
Instructions
Soak moong dal for about an hour. You can soak it for upto 2 hours if it does not get soft after soaking. For me an hour is enough. Your split mung beans will absorb water and grow in size.
Drain and take in a blender jar. Add 1 tbsp. coarsely chopped ginger and 1 green chili (skip if you don’t like heat). Add a little water, say 2 tbsp. and salt to taste.
Blend till smooth. Take the batter out in a bowl. Add turmeric, finely chopped onion and other veggies (if using) and chopped cilantro.
Mix well to form a smooth batter. Just before cooking, add ¼ tsp. baking soda and mix well. Your batter will become frothy and light.
I avoid this step as I like the moonglet consistency as it is. You go by what you like.
Heat a skillet and spread 1 tsp. olive oil all over it. Once medium hot, spread one ladle full of the moonglet batter on the skillet just like you would for a pancake. My younger son prefers these.
Cook on medium to low flame for a couple of minutes. Then flip them and cook till they are cooked through. It takes another couple of minutes for this. If your moonglet pancakes are very thick then they may take slightly longer than this. Once done take them out and serve hot.
Alternatively, you could spread it out like a crepe or dosa for a crispier version.
Crepes are thinner and cook faster, so cook one side and flip and cook the other side till golden brown and cooked through. Add more oil on the layer flipped if needed.
Serve with ketchup, dip or chutney of choice. It is really delicious.
Enjoy your moonglet or moong dal cheela for breakfast or lunch. Goes really well with chai. It also is excellent in lunchboxes.
Expert Tips
1. Soaking moong dal makes it soft and easy to blend. Soak for an hour, at least.
2. Do not make the batter very runny. It should be thickish but of spreadable consistency.
3. You can prepare the batter in advance and refrigerate for upto 2 days. Do not add chopped onion and other veggies when preparing in advance.
4. This moonglet can be stored after cooking in air tight ziplocks. Heat on a skillet or tava before serving.
5. These moonglets are vegan and a good source of complex carbohydrates and plant-based protein.
Here’s the recipe card:
📖 Recipe Card
Moonglet Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 cup moong dal or split mung beans
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 green chilli
- 1 tbsp. ginger chopped
- ½ tsp. turmeric
- ½ tsp. red chilli powder optional
- ¼ tsp. baking soda optional
- 4 tsp. oil
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Instructions
- Soak moong dal for about an hour. You can soak it for upto 2 hours if it does not get soft after soaking. For me an hour is enough. Your split mung beans will absorb water and grow in size.
- Drain and take in a blender jar. Add 1 tbsp. coarsely chopped ginger and 1 green chili (skip if you don’t like heat). Add a little water, say 2 tbsp. and salt to taste.
- Blend till smooth. Take the batter out in a bowl. Add turmeric, finely chopped onion and other veggies (if using) and chopped cilantro.
- Mix well to form a smooth batter. Just before cooking, add ¼ tsp. baking soda and mix well. Your batter will become frothy and light.
- I avoid this step as I like the moonglet consistency as it is. You go by what you like.
- Heat a skillet and spread 1 tsp. olive oil all over it. Once medium hot, spread one ladle full of the moonglet batter on the skillet, just like you would for a pancake. My younger son loves this version. You can use more batter for a thicker moonglet. It will, accordingly, take more time to cook through.
- Cook on medium to low flame for a couple of minutes. Then flip them and cook till they are cooked through. It takes another couple of minutes for this. If your moonglet pancakes are very thick then they may take slightly longer than this.
- Alternatively, you could spread it out like a crepe or dosa for a crispier version.
- Crepes are thinner and cook faster, so cook one side and flip and cook the other side till golden brown and cooked through. Add more oil on the layer flipped if needed.
- Serve with ketchup, dip or chutney of choice. It is really delicious.
- Enjoy your moonglet or moong dal cheela for breakfast or lunch. Goes really well with chai. It also is excellent in lunchboxes.
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