Pesarattu or Green Moong Dal dosa or Cheela or Crepe made with made with lentils, green chilies and Ginger. This is a great Vegan, Gluten Free, high protein & low carb breakfast dish.
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CUISINE: Indian Breakfast Recipe
TEXTURE: Crepe
EASE: Very Easy
APPEARANCE: Lightly Green and yellow
Serve with : Indian chutneys
Pros : Low Carb, Vegan, Gluten Free
I ate Pesarattu/Moong Dal dosa for all of my 9 months of gestation. It's the only vegetarian breakfast that kept my blood sugar in the range. Even now, it's something I eat when I am fed up of eating eggs for breakfast.
Personal story aside, Pesarrattu is a traditional Andra/Telengana recipe where the green Moong dal is soaked, blended into a batter with green chilies, salt and asafetida. This batter is then used to make dosas or crepes.
The north indian version is usually made with yellow moong dal and called Cheela.The process is exactly the same.
It's VEGAN, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, High protein Vegetarian Crepe perfect for breakfast and a quick dinner too.
Here is what we will do
- Soak the Moong Dal
- Blend into a smooth Batter
- Heat the tawa and make pesarattu dosa
Why we love making Pessarattu
We have been making and eating pessarattu for the past decade.Here is why we love making Moong Dal cheela/Dosa or PEssarattu
- It's easy to make
- Healthy Vegan Protein, fiber rich option for breakfast that keeps blood sugars in check
- Goes very well with peanut chutney. We are obsessed with it!
Ingredients
Here is all you need to make these Lentil dosas.
- Green Mung Dal
- Green Chilies
- Ginger
- Asafetida/Hing
Moong Dal
You can use whole, split and sprouted green moong dal too. Yellow moong dal, which is the same lentil, just without the outer husk/covering.
The reason i use split Moong is because it needs lesser soaking time than whole moong plus it has more fiber than the yellow moong.
The batter from yellow moong dal will be silkier and the dosa will be softer without the extra fiber. Also, it will look bright yellow. This version is also called Moong dal Chila/ Cheela
Rice Flour
This ingredient is completely optional. It helps make the dosa crispier and hold together better.
You can leave it out if you are trying to save on carbs or just dont have it on you.
I leave it out when i am trying to keep my blood sugar in check.
Flavors & Other ingredients
I have used only a hand-full of other flavor enhancers- Asafetida, Green Chilies, Ginger & Cumin.
You can use any version or combination of these. Red chilies, chili powder, no chilies, all of that work.
Add garlic or even garlic powder if you want.
In fact, you can add grated veggies to the batter to make it even more nutrient dense.
How to make Pesarattu - Green Moong Dal dosa
Here is how to make the Moong Dal Dosa
Step 1- Soak
Soak the Dal for 2-8 hours. I often do this overnight so I can have fresh, hot breakfast in the morning.
Unlike other dosa recipes, pesarattu doesn't need to be fermented and can be made right after grinding it.
Step 2-Making the Dosa Batter
Drain the water from the soaked dal.
Grind the moong dal along with the green chillis, ginger, salt & asafetida.
If you want, you can also add 2 tablespoon of rice flour. It improves the texture of the moong dal dosa.
The dal would have soaked a lot of water. This will make the grinding easy but you may need to add a little water. This will largely depend on how well you have drained the lentils. I usually add ¼ cup of water in 2 tablespoon increments.
You want a batter that's as thin as white dosa batter.
Step 3: Make the Dosa
You will need a ladle or a small steel bowl to spread the batter the way shown below.
I have used a cast iron tawa, you can use non stick too.
Add a dollop of batter at the heated tawa.
Start spreading the batter from inside out in a circular fashion.
Drizzle a bit of oil all around.
You can cover the dosa with a lid or flip it like you would an omlette.
Once the dosa turns brown, and the top of it is cooked, your dosa or pesarattu is ready to be served.
Serving Pessarattu
I like to keep breakfast simple.I almost always serve this simply with chutney or podi.
My go to chutneys are coconut chutney, peanut chutney and green coriander chutney.
If you are making the north indian version with yellow moong, Sweet and sour tamarind chutney and Raw Mango chutneys also taste great.
I also sometimes add a filling of grated paneer in the middle. Especially when I am extremely hungry.
Shortcuts and Tips
- When in hurry, make the Moong Dal Chila with the yellow moong dal because this needs the minimum amount of soaking.
- If you are using a cast iron tawa, add little bit of oil on the tawa, spread it with halved onion. This simple trick makes the tawa nonstick!
Variations of Moong dal Dosa
Here are some common form of moong dal dosa
Filled Pesarattu
You can add filings and topping like the south indian potato curry and make it a masala pesarattu.
Chopped onions, chilies and coriander is another popular option of toppings.
Veggie Loaded Moong Dal Dosa
Add grated bottle guard, zucchini, onions, tomatoes or any other soft vegetable to make this dosa even more powder packed.
Yellow Moong Chila
In the northern part of india, a version of pesarattu is made with yellow moong dal. The crepes are called chillas which are usually stuffed with grated paneer and served with sweet and sour tamarind chutney.
Down south, Moong Dal Chila are called Pesarattu.These crepes or dosas are made with green Moong dal (with the husk).It's served with a filling of potato and a side of chutney such as peanut chutney or coconut chutney.
Sprouted Moong Dosa
Though the healthiest way to make lentil crepes is with sprouted Moong Sabut i.e. Sprouted whole Green Moong Dal.This is the most nutritious and the best way to make this dosa.
Pesarattu recipe is often suggested for people with diabetes and folks on diets.It's a great replacement to normal carb heavy dosas.
Storing, Freezing & Refrigerating
Cooked Dosas are best served hot or warm when they are still crisp. They can be taken as a packed lunch or dinner too. They become soft when cool but they are still great healthy option.
Instead of making the dosas and storing in the refrigerator, I prefer storing the batter.
Batter will last for 4-5 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it, thaw it the night before in the refrigerator. Make dosas as usual. The batter will become a tad bit more liquid but it's still workable.
More Breakfast Recipes
Here are some more Indian Breakfast options and accompaniments.
Fudgy Ragi Chocolate Pancake|Finger Millet Recipe
Instant Ragi Dosa Recipe
Peanut Chutney for Idli & Dosa
Indian Raw Mango Chutney
Appam /Hoppers -Kerala Rice Pancakes
If you make this Moong dal dosa or Pesarattu with this recipe, do drop me a note. I would love to hear what you thought about it!
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Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Moong Dal Split or whole
- 2 tablespoon Rice flour Optional
- 1 teaspoon Hing
- 1 Green Chilli or more if you are into that
- 1 inch Ginger cut into pieces
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon Oil
Instructions
- Soak the Moon Dal for 2-8 hours.
- Discard the water.Add the soaked moong dal along with hing, green chilli, ginger and salt.
- Grind it into a thick batter with adding ¼ Cup of water BUT in 2 tablespoon increments.
- Spread on a hot tawa.Add a few drops of oil.Flip and cook the other side.
- Serve with chutneys or podis.
Notes
- While grinding, add the water 2 tablespoons until you get a thick, foamy, spreadable consistency of the Pesarattu batter.
- You can add chopped onions, coriander, curry leaves to the batter or as a topping on the dosa too.
Ella says
Hi!! This recipe looks absolutely delicious, can’t wait to try it 🙂
I was also wondering if you could use a normal frying pan instead of a hot Tawa
chhavi says
yes you can use a frying pan but removing it could prove tricky..