Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Moong Dal Chilla

Craving for something spicy and delicious yet healthy dish? Be it a cold afternoon or rainy evening, these spiced lentil crisps are always welcome. The beauty of this dish is that it is a perfect option for breakfast, brunch or even dinner. 

The other day I was craving for something spicy fried stuff, something equivalent to Pakoda.  But these days, I say big NO to fried stuff and hence had hard time finding a dish to settle for. 

Then suddenly I remember this dish, my mom makes this often especially during summer when there are limited varieties of vegetables. She uses combination of green moong dal and rice. I had forgotten the exact proportion and instead of calling her, i searched online. I found several recipes online but none of them use rice. So I came up with my own combination and it came out just perfect. 

Makes 16-18 Chillas
Preparation Time: 20 Minute + Soaking Time
Cooking Time: 40 Minute

Ingredients
2 cup yellow moong dal
1/4 cup udad dal
1/2 cup rice
1 tbsp green chili paste
1 tsp ginger paste
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin  seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
3 tbsp kasoori methi
1/4 cup yogurt
1/2 tsp soda
Coriander leaves
Veggies of your choice, I used onion and corn
Salt
Oil to make Chillas

Procedure
1. Soak both dals (together) and rice (separately) for 4-6 hours
2. Grind dal and rice with little water to make thick pouring mixture
3. Add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, garlic, chili-ginger paste, kasoori methi and cumin seeds
4. When ready to make, add soda, yogurt, coriander leaves and veggies. Batter without these ingredients can be preserved in freezer for at least couple of weeks
5. Make Chillas on a hot griddle with little oil, cook them on both sides until crispy and brown
6. Serve hot with green chutney/ketchup