Moong Dal Chilla with Spinach and Ginger-Cilantro Chutney
Crisp-edged moong dal chilla made from soaked, blended split mung beans with spinach and cumin, served with a bright ginger-cilantro chutney.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Rest
- 4 h
- Serves
- 4
Moong Dal Chilla with Spinach and Ginger-Cilantro Chutney is a vegan breakfast recipe made with split yellow moong dal (skinless), water, fresh ginger. It takes 50 minutes of hands-on time, plus 4 hours resting, serves 4, and each serving has 318 calories, 14 g of protein and 10 g of fiber.
Soaked split moong dal blends into a batter that cooks up thinner and crisper than chickpea flour, with no raw-flour taste. Grinding the dal with ginger and chile spreads the heat evenly through the batter, and stirring raw spinach in at the end keeps it bright green. The chutney gets its body from a handful of peanuts, so you don't need yogurt.
A base ingredient + protein boost (soaked and blended moong dal batter for a lighter, crispier, higher-protein crepe instead of chickpea-flour besan batter) take on our Besan Chilla with Spinach and Spiced Tofu Filling.
Ingredients
Batter
- 1 cup207 gsplit yellow moong dal (skinless), rinsed
- ¾ cup178 gwater, for blending, plus more as needed
- 1 tbsp6 gfresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 14 gjalapeño, roughly chopped (seeded for less heat)
- 1 tsp2.1 gcumin seeds
- ¼ tsp0.8 gground turmeric
- ¾ tsp4.5 gsalt
- 2 cups60 gbaby spinach, finely chopped
- ½ medium55 gonion, finely diced
- 2 tbsp2 gcilantro, chopped
- 3 tbsp42 gneutral oil, for cooking
Chutney
- 1½ cups24 gcilantro, leaves and tender stems
- 2 tbsp18 groasted unsalted peanuts
- 2 tsp4 gfresh ginger, peeled and chopped
- ½ 7 gjalapeño, chopped
- 2 tbsp31 glime juice
- ¼ tsp0.5 gground cumin
- ¼ tsp1.5 gsalt
- 3 tbsp45 gcold water
Kit: blender, 10-inch nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, ladle, thin spatula
Tips
- If the first chilla tears or sticks, the pan isn't hot enough or the batter is too thick. Let the pan heat longer or thin the batter a little.
- Soaked dal keeps in the fridge for up to 24 hours before blending, so you can soak it the night before and cook in the morning.
- For the crispiest results, spread the batter thin and don't put a lid on the pan.
Swap ideas
- Use whole green mung beans, soaked overnight, instead of split yellow moong dal
- Gives a greener, earthier, pesarattu-style crepe with a little more fiber. Blend it a bit longer to get it smooth.
- Add 2 tbsp rice flour to the batter
- Makes the edges crispier and the chillas easier to flip if your pan sticks.
- Use finely grated carrot or zucchini instead of spinach
- Makes the chilla sweeter and more colorful. Squeeze zucchini dry first so the batter doesn't get watery.
- Use mint for half of the cilantro in the chutney
- Gives a cooler, more classic hari chutney flavor.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
318kcal per serving
Everything else · 4 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 1.3 g 7%
- Sugars
- 4.8 g
- Sodium
- 609 mg 26%
- Potassium
- 860 mg 18%
- Calcium
- 104 mg 8%
- Iron
- 4.7 mg 26%
- Vitamin C
- 18 mg 20%
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg 0%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Mung beans, mature seeds, raw, Beverages, water, tap, drinking, Ginger root, raw, Peppers, jalapeno, raw, Spices, cumin seed, Spices, turmeric, ground, Salt, table, Spinach, raw, Onions, raw, Coriander (cilantro) leaves, raw, Oil, canola, Peanuts, all types, dry-roasted, without salt, Lime juice, raw, Spices, cumin seed
Method
Rinse the moong dal 2–3 times until the water runs mostly clear. Cover it with about 3 inches of water and soak for at least 4 hours or overnight in the fridge, until a grain crushes easily between your fingers.
Make the chutney: blend the cilantro, peanuts, ginger, jalapeño, lime juice, ground cumin, salt and cold water until smooth, scraping down the sides once. Add another spoonful of water if it won't blend. Taste for salt and lime, then transfer to a bowl.
Drain the dal well. Blend it with 3/4 cup water, the ginger, jalapeño, cumin seeds, turmeric and salt until smooth with only a faint grit, about 1–2 minutes. The batter should be thick but pourable, like pancake batter. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time if it's too stiff to spread.
Stir the chopped spinach, onion and cilantro into the batter. Don't let it sit for long after this, because the onion and spinach release water and thin the batter.
Heat the skillet over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles right away. Brush it with about 1/2 teaspoon oil. Pour in a scant 1/3 cup batter and quickly spread it from the center outward with the back of the ladle into a 7- to 8-inch round about 1/8 inch thick.
Drizzle about 1/2 teaspoon oil around the edge and over the top. Cook until the top looks dry and set and the underside is golden with crisp, lifting edges, 2–3 minutes.
Flip and cook the second side until it has golden spots and no wet batter remains in the center, 1–2 minutes more. Move it to a plate. Repeat with the rest of the batter, wiping the pan and lowering the heat a little if the chillas brown before they set.
Serve hot, 2 chillas per person, with the ginger-cilantro chutney on the side.
Storage: Without the spinach and onion, the blended batter keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Stir them in just before cooking. Cooked chillas keep in the fridge for 3 days, layered with parchment. Reheat them in a dry skillet over medium heat so they crisp up again. The chutney keeps for 3 days, refrigerated with plastic pressed onto the surface to keep it green.
Questions
- How much protein is in moong dal chilla with spinach and ginger-cilantro chutney?
- Each of the 4 servings has 14 g of protein, 10 g of fiber and 318 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is moong dal chilla with spinach and ginger-cilantro chutney vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does moong dal chilla with spinach and ginger-cilantro chutney take to make?
- 20 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cooking, so 50 minutes of hands-on time, plus 4 hours of unattended resting.
- Can you make moong dal chilla with spinach and ginger-cilantro chutney ahead?
- Without the spinach and onion, the blended batter keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Stir them in just before cooking. Cooked chillas keep in the fridge for 3 days, layered with parchment. Reheat them in a dry skillet over medium heat so they crisp up again. The chutney keeps for 3 days, refrigerated with plastic pressed onto the surface to keep it green.
- What can I substitute in moong dal chilla with spinach and ginger-cilantro chutney?
- Use whole green mung beans, soaked overnight, instead of split yellow moong dal — gives a greener, earthier, pesarattu-style crepe with a little more fiber. blend it a bit longer to get it smooth.. Add 2 tbsp rice flour to the batter — makes the edges crispier and the chillas easier to flip if your pan sticks.. Use finely grated carrot or zucchini instead of spinach — makes the chilla sweeter and more colorful. squeeze zucchini dry first so the batter doesn't get watery.. Use mint for half of the cilantro in the chutney — gives a cooler, more classic hari chutney flavor..
- Does moong dal chilla with spinach and ginger-cilantro chutney contain peanuts?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes peanuts, in some cases as an optional ingredient you can leave out. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published October 3, 2026 ·Indian
