Mung Bean Pancakes (Chila)

My obsession with savory Indian pancakes for breakfast with some spicy chutney and / or a dollop of yogurt continues. I make up a decent sized batch to last my husband and I a good few days — they can be reheated in foil wrap if made ahead of time as they preserve their rather delicate texture and slightly spicy, wholesome flavor for days. Or, needless to say, they can be simply served up right away, hot from the skillet. I never do mind room temperature food either myself, and if I am really hungry, I just plop any leftovers on the plate right from the fridge. When hunger hits, you won't be standing in front of an open fridge door for long if you know these nourishing delights are waiting for you.

They are of course a perfect and substantial accompaniment to any Indian meal, any time of day, or just as a snack. Consider rolling these ones up with a vegetable curry, or maybe a paneer curry, served with some rice on the side. The possibilities are endless, and once you experience the delight of making these in your own kitchen there is no turning back from Indian flatbreads and you'll be exploring many other variations. They really are easy to prepare — the only time consuming aspect is frying up each pancake, though the process can be streamlined by using two pans or a large electric skillet.

Mung Bean Pancakes (Chila)

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from 1,000 Indian Recipes Cuisine: Indian Published on January 6, 2013 Simple, soft and fragrant and lightly spiced savory pancakes made from mung beans and urad dal and without flour Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 cup dried whole mung beans 1/4 cup skinless urad dal 1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped 3 fresh green chilies, seeded and chopped 1 1/2 cups water 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon cayenne generous dash of asafetida 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon sea salt fresh ground black pepper to taste sesame oil for frying Instructions: Thoroughly rinse the mung beans and urad dal in a strainer for a few minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a few inches of water, and let soak overnight. Drain the beans and dal and transfer to a food processor or blender along with the water, ginger, chilies, spices, baking soda, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Let stand for 3 to 4 hours. Add more water if necessary to achieve a semi-thick batter. In a non-stick skillet, heat a teaspoon of oil over medium heat. When hot, ladle about 1/2 cup of the batter into the pan and use the bottom of the ladle to spread the batter out into a roughly 6-inch circle. Fry for a few minutes until bubbles appear on the top and the bottom is nicely browned. Sprinkle a bit of oil on top of the pancake, flip, and cook for another minute or two or until the other side is browned. Remove to an oven-safe plate and keep warm in a 150° oven. Repeat until all of the batter is used. Serve hot or warm with chutney, yogurt or curry. Refrigerate leftovers and reheat in foil at 300° for 10 minutes. Makes 12 to 14 pancakes

More Indian breads you are sure to enjoy from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Home-Style Chila
Besan Roti
Rice Flour Pancakes
Fenugreek Roti

On the top of the reading stack: Mysore Style Cooking by V. Sandhya

Audio Accompaniment: Pete Namlook and Tetsu Inoue