If you think a plant-based breakfast can’t be ultra-fluffy, satisfying, and packed with protein, the moonglet recipe is here to prove otherwise.
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Popularised as street food in Delhi, this savoury yellow moong dal pancake is often called the “vegetarian omelet”—crispy and golden on the outside, light and soft on the inside, and loaded with colourful vegetables. It is thick like a frittata or a pancake and crispy from the outside like a grilled sandwich.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Plant-Based & Gluten-Free: Made with yellow moong lentils instead of eggs.
- High Protein & Fiber: Packed with plant protein and customized veggies to keep you full for hours.
- Crispy Perfection: Using a pinch of baking soda whisked into the batter creates a omlette like fluffiness without dairy or eggs.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Lentil Base: Split yellow moong dal (soaked and grind to a smooth paste), ginger, and green chillies.
- Asafoetida (hing) is the one ingredient that gives it an egg-y taste.
- Seasoning: Turmeric Powder, , Cumin Powder, Salt to taste
- Vegetables like finely chopped onion, bell peppers, sweet corn, tomato, carrot, coriander leaves.
- Leavening: Rice flour (for extra crunch), pinch of fruit salt/baking soda
- Toppings: Black Mustard Seeds (rai), White Sesame Seeds (til), Cumin Seeds, Chopped Coriander
- Cooking Oil (or vegan butter), for cooking moonglet.
How To Make Moonglet
1. Soak and Blend the Lentils:
- Rinse yellow moong until the water runs clear. Soak in warm water for at least 3 – 4 hours.
- Drain completely and transfer to a high-speed blender with ginger, green chilies, and 3–4 tablespoons of water.
- Blend into a smooth, thick batter (similar to pancake batter consistency).
Hina’s Pro Tip: Don’t get carried away and too much water to blend the batter. You want it thick and smooth.
2. Mix Batter and Veggies:
- Pour the batter into a bowl. Whisk in turmeric, cumin powder, asafoetida, rice flour, and salt. Vigorously aerate the batter with a whisk for 5 minutes to incorporate air.
- Fold in your chopped vegetables and herbs. And gently mix the batter nicely to combine it all together. Keep the batter aside.
3. Aerate the Batter:
- Right before cooking, mix a pinch of fruit salt or baking soda into the batter. And with light hand, mix the batter nicely. You will notice, it is slowly aerating and becomes light.
4. Crisp and Serve:
- Heat a small non-stick pan over medium heat with 1 teaspoon of oil.
- Sprinkle a mix of black mustard seeds, white sesame seeds, cumin seeds, and chopped coriander leaves.
- Once the seeds start popping, add a big ladle full of batter into the pan. Evenly spread it.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook on medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes until the base turns golden and crisp.
- Flip gently. Cook uncovered for another 2–3 minutes until both sides are golden brown.
Serve Moonglet with green chutney, tomato ketchup or any other spicy sides of your choice. It is exactly like a frittata so serving possibilities are endless.
Watch Moonglet Video
Hina’s Pro-Tips for the Best Moonglet
- Master the Fluff: Always add baking soda/fruit salt right before the batter hits the pan. If added too early, the air bubbles will escape.
- Low & Slow: Cook on medium-low heat so the thick batter cooks all the way through while the exterior gets ultra-crispy. Do not rush the flipping process.
- Pan Size: Use a compact, round, heavy bottom pan with non stick qualities like ceramic or cast iron. If you are making moonglet on a wide pan, do not spread the batter way too thin otherwise you would end up with moong dal chilla.
If you want to explore more low carb, vegetarian breakfast then must try – 2 Ingredient Oats Wrap, wholesome Lauki Jowar Thalipeeth, or the flourless Zucchini Wrap.
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Crispy Moonglet Recipe
If you think a plant-based breakfast can’t be ultra-fluffy, satisfying, and packed with protein, the moonglet recipe is here to prove otherwise.
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Servings: 4 moonglet
Calories: 215kcal
- Mixer Grinder
Ingredients
Ingredient To Grind:
- 1 Cup yellow moong dal
- 1 green chilli
- 1 inch ginger, chopped
- 4 tablespoon water, at room temperature
Ingredients For Batter:
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 small tomato, finely chopped
- 1 small red bell-pepper, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder (jeera powder)
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ⅓ teaspoon hing (asafoetida)
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon rice flour (chawal ka atta)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Ingredients For Cooking:
- white sesame seeds (til)
- black mustard seeds (rai)
- cumin seeds (jeera)
- sesame oil or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Rinse yellow moong until the water runs clear. Soak in warm water for at least 3 – 4 hours. Drain completely and transfer to a high-speed blender with ginger, green chilies, and 3–4 tablespoons of water. Blend into a smooth, thick batter (similar to pancake batter consistency).1 Cup yellow moong dal, 1 green chilli, 1 inch ginger, chopped, 4 tablespoon water, at room temperature
- Pour the batter into a bowl. Whisk in turmeric, cumin powder, asafoetida, rice flour, and salt. Vigorously aerate the batter with a whisk for 5 minutes to incorporate air.1 teaspoon cumin powder (jeera powder), ½ teaspoon red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ⅓ teaspoon hing (asafoetida), ½ teaspoon salt or to taste, 1 tablespoon rice flour (chawal ka atta)
- Fold in your chopped vegetables and herbs. And gently mix the batter nicely to combine it all together. Keep the batter aside.1 small onion, finely chopped, 1 small tomato, finely chopped, 1 small red bell-pepper, finely chopped, handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
- Right before cooking, mix a pinch of fruit salt or baking soda into the batter. And with light hand, mix the batter nicely. You will notice, it is slowly aerating and becomes light.¼ teaspoon baking soda
- Heat a small non-stick pan over medium heat with 1 teaspoon of oil. Sprinkle a mix of black mustard seeds, white sesame seeds, cumin seeds, and chopped coriander leaves.white sesame seeds (til), cumin seeds (jeera), sesame oil or vegetable oil, black mustard seeds (rai)
- Once the seeds start popping, add a big ladle full of batter into the pan. Evenly spread it. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes until the base turns golden and crisp. Flip gently. Cook uncovered for another 2–3 minutes until both sides are golden brown.
- Serve Moonglet with green chutney or tomato ketchup.
Nutrition
Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 421mg | Potassium: 163mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 950IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 3mg
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