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Omelets are great as a breakfast dish because they are protein-packed, fluffy, slightly crispy, nutritious and absolutely delicious. But if you are a vegetarian, do you miss out completely on the joys and benefits of having a similar option for breakfast? Of course not! What you should do instead is try making a quick, protein-packed, crispy and fluffy Moonglet for breakfast.
In case you weren’t aware, Moonglet refers to a moong dal pancake that resembles the omelet in its colour, texture and ingredients—without any eggs, that is. The very name Moonglet refers to this awesome similarity with omelet, and many would even argue that a Moonglet is also as easy as a pizza to eat! The story behind how this dish came to be and became popular is also interesting.
So, reports suggest that Moonglet originated in Delhi’s Karol Bagh area. Legend has it that Dinesh Kumar, the owner of K.B. Chaat, a street food stall in Karol Bagh, first invented the Moonglet to satiate the vegetarian urge to eat a breakfast dish as scrumptious as an omelet. The concept of the Moonglet became so popular that many other street stalls in karol Bagh soon picked up the dish as a popular breakfast and snack option. Soon enough, the dish also made its way into the homes of vegetarian Delhiites.
As a protein-packed pure-vegetarian dish, Moonglet is truly a great breakfast option for kids and adults alike. Traditionally, the toppings used in this fat pancake or chilla are onions, tomatoes and green chillies, but in winters, people also love to add beetroots, radishes and other veggies to make the dish more of a loaded, nutritious breakfast. Moonglet takes very little time to cook up, so it is indeed one of the best breakfast options for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.
Video Credit: YouTube/Hebbar's Kitchen
Here is an easy moonglet recipe you can try out at home. Of course, you can totally tailor the toppings according to your own taste, needs and availability of ingredients.
Ingredients:
1 cup moong dal, soaked
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, finely chopped
1/2 capsicum, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
2 tbsp rice flour
1/2 tsp fruit salt
Salt, to taste
1/4 cup water
2 tsp oil
1 tsp butter
Coriander leaves, for garnish
Method:
1. Drain the soaked moong dal, transfer into a grinder jar and grind to a smooth, fine paste.
2. Transfer the moong dal paste into a large bowl.
3. Add the cumin seeds, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, rice flour, ginger garlic paste, salt and water.
4. Mix well, then add the fruit salt and mix again.
5. Heat oil in a small pan, and pour in two ladles of the batter.
6. Top the Moonglet with onions, green chillies, tomatoes, capsicum and coriander leaves.
7. Once the Moonglet starts turning brown at the bottom, add some butter on top and flip the entire pancake.
8. Cook the Moonglet completely on the other side until it browns properly.
9. Transfer the ready Moonglet onto a plate, cut into triangles like a pizza and serve hot with chutney and ketchup.
