The Tastiest, Most Convenient Moong Dal Chilla Mix in India

Moong dal chilla is, in essence, nothing but a vegan omelet. Soft, delicious and protein-rich, these savory pancakes are a part of a breakfast spread in Indian homes. 

Right from soaking and grinding the dals to seasoning the batter, the cooking process can be fairly long. Even longer, if you’re a novice. So for beginners and anyone looking to add convenience, here is our moong dal chilla mix brands review. We reviewed six brands, where it was a tie between Gladful and Conscious Foods for their wholesome flavors, textures, convenience and nutrition profiles.

Our detailed experience shared in this post.

Crucial details are shared in the table below.

With moong dal or moong being the primary ingredient, the product must be labelled a ‘chilla mix’. Easy availability was another aspect we selected the contenders on.

How did we review moong dal chilla mix brands? What were our parameters? What were we looking for?

Clean ingredients, convenience, a desirable flavor profile and texture were the key parameters.

1. Taste

Moong or moong dal has a characteristic earthy, mildly nutty flavor. Spices and condiments must be balanced to lead to an appetizing flavor. 

Expired spices or stale legumes not only impact the flavor, but also texture. We gauged the aroma and flavors for the freshness.

2. Texture

Soft and fluffy with crisp edges. This is precisely the texture we were looking for. How easy is it to make the batter? Were the spices ground or used whole? Are there any veggies that add textural variety or are they added as powders?

3. Nutrition Profile

Calories per serve and the macronutrient distribution was compared. Simple, minimalist ingredient lists would be appreciated. Additives, preservatives, colors, were these agents used?

4. Other Factors

Overall convenience in terms of time taken, adjustments needed, price, packaging, and more were gauged.

All contenders offer 350-390 Kcal per 100 grams. With minuscule variations in the macronutrient distribution, the overall calorie count isn’t too distinct. This is primarily why we selected our Top Pick based on the freshness, seasoning, and overall taste. The texture and convenience were also included.

Our experience with each variant had been explained in the following section.

Our Experience 

Commendable across aspects. Gladful Sprouted Moong Chilla mix is toothsome and the bite was impressive. 

These chillas feature a flavorful balance between salt, spice, and other flavoring agents like garlic, carom seeds, raw mango powder, among others. The fact that there is no need to add any extra masalas to make it taste better, makes it even more convenient. 

Both, cooking as well as preparing the batter, were effortless. No lumps were formed and these cooked uniformly on both sides. The water to chilla mix ratio suggested on the pack was on point. These were soft, fluffy, and airy. Best of all, this desirable texture was almost the same a few hours later when they cooled down which makes it a superb tiffin-friendly option for children.

We must also talk about the appearance of these chillas. Beetroot added a pleasing pink tinge. 

Product Details 

The main ingredients are Sprouted moong flour, Chickpea flour, Rice, Beetroot,  Green chilli, Garlic, Turmeric, Coriander, Black pepper, Aamchoor, Ajwain, Jeera, Rock salt

A 200-gram pack is priced at Rs 200/- with a shelf life of eight months. 

Our Experience 

Texture-wise, our experience was similar to the above variant. This had a soft, light bite and this pleasing texture was retained after cooling down too. This mix had onion flakes, but that did not impact the texture significantly. These chillas have a light pink color. Making the batter was seamless and we had no issues in spreadability as well.

This tasted fresh and natural. The spice was low, but the salt was apt. The target audience for this product is young kids, hence, we cannot deduct points for low spice. Infact you can build up with green chillies, more vegetables as per personal preferences.

Product Details 

This is made with Roasted flours of (yellow moong dal, brown rice, black gram dal, red poha), Black salt, onion flakes, beetroot powder, Tomato powder, Roasted cumin powder, Coriander flakes, Coriander powder, Roasted carom powder, asafoetida, ginger powder and nothing else.

A 200-gram pack is priced at Rs 150/- and has a shelf life of nine months. 

Our Experience 

Tata Sampann Moong Dal Chilla Mix has the highest protein content among all contenders. 

This was the yellowest chilla and features the highest dal content too. Salt, spice were added aptly. The overall flavor was well-rounded. Compared to the Top Picks, this had a subtly tougher bite. That being said, it was still soft and appetizing, but we’d recommend immediate consumption. 

Making chillas with this mix was supremely easy, as the flavors did not need any adjustment and the mix turned into batter seamlessly, without lumps. 

Product Details 

Moong dal flour (94%), Iodised salt (Anticaking agent INS 536), Red chilli powder, Cumin powder, Ajowan, Turmeric powder, Cinnamon powder (0.06%), Clove powder, Black pepper powder (0.05%) are the ingredients used. 

A 180-gram pack is priced at Rs 75/- This has a shelf life of 12 months. 

Our Experience 

The chillas made with Graminway Cheela Mix had homestyle flavors and textures. 

There was a noticeably mild sourness that we liked, similar to fresh dosas. The salt this premix contained was adequate, with a low-medium spice level. We like how this offers the liberty to add more spice, if needed. Garlic’s warmth only hits you subtly at the very end. The spreadability was the best, it may be due to the addition of buttermilk, instead of water. 

Owing to the fact that all mixes only needed water and this can only be made using buttermilk, slightly brings down the convenience.

Product Details 

The ingredients that go in the making are Green moong dal, Yellow moong dal, Green chilli powder, Ginger powder, Garlic powder, Salt

A 1 kilogram pack is priced at Rs 299/- with a shelf life of six months. 

Our Experience 

The chillas made with Foodstrong Sprouted Moong Dal Mix were fresh-tasting, but there was nothing extraordinary. To uplift the flavors, you’d need to add some chopped veggies, plus adjust the seasoning accordingly. 

The texture was decent as well. Because this uses rice flour too, you can arrive at crisp edges by adding a bit more oil. Unfortunately, the chillas tend to break from the center, throughout multiple attempts. These are much harder to spread. 

Product Details 

Sprouted moong flour (32.2%), Jowar flour (32.2%), Rice flour, Salt, Cumin powder, Fenugreek powder are the ingredients used. 

With a six months shelf life, a 150-gram pack is priced at Rs 120/ –

Our Experience 

The crisp bites were the only likable aspect here. Chillas made with Burly Field Moong Dal Mix were surprisingly bland. You’d either need a large serving of some dip or chutney, or add tons of masalas and veggies from your pantry to make this taste better.

Product Details 

Made with Moong dal, urad dal, Rice and Salt, a 200-gram pack is priced at Rs 100/- with a shelf life of six months. 

Why did we choose Gladful and Conscious Foods as our Top Pick?

Gladful and Conscious Foods chilla mixes are the contenders we loved most. Not just the nutrition quotients, but the flavors and textures of both these mixes were very pleasing and desirable. They were soft (and retained this for a few hours after being cooked), plus the seasoning was apt with a prominent freshness. The spreadability and clean ingredient list gets a full 100!

Both of them also offer the maximum convenience as you only need water to make a smooth batter and there is no need to adjust the seasoning. These are truly convenience in a pouch!

Here are some interesting FAQs on moong dal chilla mix.

Clean, convenient, and delicious. Of the six moong dal chilla mixes we reviewed, Gladful and Conscious Foods stood out for their flavors and textures. Balanced, rounded seasoning with freshness and the natural flavors of all components intact, these are the two brands we recommend our readers to try.

Chillas are nothing but savory pancakes, don’t you think?