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.