Yellow Moong Chilla: Savory Breakfast Crepes

Super healthy and nutritious and loaded with flavor- this yellow moong chilla might just become your next favorite breakfast recipe. 

Breakfast is that time of the day when you want to enjoy something that’s delicious, healthy, and will keep you full until lunchtime. Yet, you also want something that’s easy to make- something that you don’t have to put in a whole lot of effort for. 

And that’s where this yellow moong chilla comes in. It is a delicious Indian breakfast crepe recipe that you can try making over the weekend. 

Infact, you can also batch make it and store it for later to turn it into a quick and healthy breakfast that you can make in minutes. 

Jump to:

• Ingredients For the Recipe
• How to Make the Yellow Moong Chilla
• Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
• Yellow Moong Chilla: Savory Breakfast Crepes

Ready to go ahead and give it a try? Here’s everything you need to know about it. 

Ingredients For the Recipe

You’ll need just a handful of basic ingredients to put this recipe together. 

• Yellow moong (yellow gram): ½ cup
• Water: As required
• Green/red chilies (chopped): 1 tbsp
• Ginger (grated): 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
• Red chili powder: 1 tsp
• Coriander powder: 1 tsp
• Spring onions (chopped): 2 tbsp
• Salt: 1 tsp or as per taste

How to Make the Yellow Moong Chilla

Ready with all your ingredients? Here’s how to make the recipe from scratch. 

Soak the yellow gram in enough water overnight. 

Once properly soaked, transfer the soaked yellow gram into a blender and blend into a smooth paste. Add as little water as required. 

Next, add all the remaining ingredients and mix well. The mixture should be of flowy consistency. 

Heat a flat pan and using a ladle, transfer a small quantity onto the pan and flatten it out like a pancake. 

Cook both sides for a minute or until done. 

Serve hot with curd and pickle as breakfast. 

Do I Really Need to Soak it Overnight?

Yellow gram needs to be soaked overnight or for a minimum of 4-5 hours for it to swell up absorbing all that moisture. This will help you get the batter to have the right texture, and the moong chillas will become easier to cook. 

To take it a step further, you can soak them in warm or very hot water too. 

Can I Make it Without the Yellow Gram?

While the yellow moong chilla tastes best when made with yellow gram, you can also try replicating the recipe with other lentils of your choice. Infact, you can even opt for a combination of lentils. 

Split green gram, skinned black gram, and pigeon peas are all excellent choices if you’re on the hunt for other additions to the recipe. 

What Else Can I Add to the Yellow Moong Chilla?

Your versatile yellow moong chilla can be transformed into an even more healthy and nutritious breakfast by adding other veggies. 

Chopped spinach, chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, chopped mushrooms, grated carrots, grated zucchini, grated cabbage, and grated beetroot are all excellent healthy additions to the batter. 

You can also try adding smashed cooked peas or corn, mashed steamed broccoli, or even some chopped fresh fenugreek leaves into the mix. If you don’t mind a bit of texture, you can also throw in some sprouts. 

If nothing else works, some crumbled paneer (cottage cheese), tofu, or grated cheese could do the trick. 

How Do I Store the Leftovers?

While it is best to make the batter fresh, you can also store your leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also make the batter in a batch, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it. 

Just remember to get the batter out of the refrigerator at least 20 minutes before you plan to use it. This will help the batter come to room temperature and will get your chillas to cook perfectly. 

If nothing else works, you can cut an onion in half and then rub the entire surface of the pan with the flat portion. 

Why Does the Chilla Keep Sticking to the Pan?

There are several reasons why your yellow moong chilla could be sticking to the pan. First, check if your cooking surface is non-stick. Season it well with a bit of oil or butter. Also, remember to check the consistency of the batter before you cook with it- it shouldn’t be too thick or too runny. 

Another important factor to keep in mind is the cooking temperature- it is best to cook the chillas at medium heat. You can also cover the pan with a lid to make sure the chillas are cooked to perfection. 

Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe

The recipe might be super simple, but you can still follow these little tips and tricks to nail the recipe. 

• To bring in a bit of additional texture and flavor variation to the yellow moong chillas, you can add some instant oats too. This will also help the batter become more crispy. 
• Another excellent way to make the chilla batter more crispy is to add a bit of rice flour to the batter. 
• To make the batter even more nutritious and healthy, you can reduce the amount of water you’re adding in, and add yogurt instead. 
• Depending on the thickness of the crepes you prefer having, you can scoop out one or two ladlefuls of the batter and spread it onto a well seasoned nonstick pan. 
• Seasoning the pan is a step you shouldn’t miss since it will help keep the batter from sticking to the pan and will also help the crepes get that slightly crispy and browned outer. 

How to Serve the Yellow Moong Chilla?

The yellow moong chilla makes for an amazing breakfast when served with some green coriander and mint chutney or a spicy garlic chutney on the side. And of course, don’t forget the classic masala chai. 

If you don’t have any of these, you could make do with ketchup too. 

If you’re making the chillas as a part of a complete Indian breakfast affair, you can make some south Indian masala dosas, sabudana vadas, and the famous aloo parathas.