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Recipe

Moong dal chilla

Most Indian breakfasts are carbohydrate with a little protein. This inverts that, and the difference shows up at four in the afternoon rather than at breakfast.

Time
25 minutes, plus soaking
Serves
2 (makes 4 chilla)
Protein
13 g
Fibre
6 g

Ingredients

  • 1 cup yellow moong dal, soaked 4 hours
  • 1 inch ginger
  • 1–2 green chillies
  • ¼ tsp hing
  • ½ tsp jeera
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup coriander, chopped
  • 1 small tomato, finely chopped
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil for cooking

Method

Step 1

Drain the soaked dal and grind with ginger, green chilli and a little water to a smooth, pourable batter. Do not make it too thin.

Step 2

Stir in hing, jeera and salt. Rest for ten minutes.

Step 3

Mix the chopped onion, tomato and coriander separately.

Step 4

Heat a tawa, pour a ladle of batter and spread thin.

Step 5

Scatter the vegetable mix over the top and press in lightly.

Step 6

Drizzle a little oil around the edge, cook until the base is golden, flip and cook briefly.

Step 7

Serve with coriander chutney rather than sweet chutney.

Soak the dal overnight and this takes fifteen minutes in the morning.

Why it works

Protein at breakfastAround 13g per serving. Protein early flattens the mid-morning dip and reduces what you eat later in the day.
No fermentation, no riceUnlike dosa or idli, this is pulse-only, so the carbohydrate load is lower and comes with fibre.
The vegetables on topAdded raw rather than cooked in, so the fibre stays intact.

Nutrition, per serving

Approximate values. Actual figures vary with portion and ingredients.
EnergyProteinCarbohydrateFatFibre
210 kcal13 g28 g5 g6 g

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