Moong Dal Halwa – Indian Dessert Recipes

Moong dal halwa, a rich and delicious Indian dessert which is made with split yellow moong dal, ghee, milk, sugar, saffron and green cardamom. It’s the perfect Diwali dessert to indulge in! Making this halwa at home can be a little tedious but it is totally worth the effort and time.

Tips And Tricks:

• To prevent lumps, always mix the moong dal paste with ghee in a separate bowl before adding it to the pan. By doing this you will also save cooking time and effort.
• You should use a non-stick pan to make this halwa. It helps in preventing the halwa from burning and makes the whole process slightly easier.
• This moong dal halwa is made with a little less ghee. For 1 cup of moong dal, 3/4 cup of ghee is used. According to the traditional recipe, the ratio between dal and ghee should be 1:1. But for this recipe, I have changed the ratio to make it a little healthy. I know! I know! It is still loaded with ghee and sugar. Just trying to reduce the calories without affecting the taste.
• Make sure you always cook it over low heat. It helps in drying all the moisture out of the dal paste and also prevents it from burning.
• Milk is used to improve the texture of this halwa.

Though cooking this halwa can be a time taking process, but I promise, it is worth it! It has such a unique nutty flavour. And Kesar and green cardamon provide a beautiful aroma to this dessert. Definitely, it is not something that you can have every day. But you can have it on your cheat day!

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 1 hr | Total Time: 1 hr 15 min (excludes soak time)

Soaking Time: 6 hr

Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow moong dal
• 3/4 cup ghee, melted
• 1 cup milk, warm
• A pinch of saffron
• 3 tbsp warm water
• 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 cup sugar
• 8-10 almonds, chopped
• 10-12 pistachios, chopped

Cooking Directions:

To make the moong dal paste:

In a large bowl, add moong dal. Fill it with water and let it soak for at least 6 hours.

After 6 hours, you will see that the dal has doubled in quantity. Drain all the excess water. Pour the dal into a grinder jar.

Grind it to make a thick and coarse paste. You don’t need to add any water while grinding it.

Transfer the dal paste to a large bowl. Pour the melted ghee.

Whisk until it is fully incorporated with the dal paste. This is a very useful step. It prevents the formations of lumps and also reduces a lot of effort.

In a small bowl, pour warm water and add a pinch of Kesar or saffron. Keep it aside.

To make the halwa:

Heat a non-stick pan over low heat. Add the dal-ghee mixture. Cook the mixture, while stirring continuously, until the raw smell goes away. It may take around 30-35 minutes.

At first, you’ll notice that the mixture becomes a little sticky. It almost looks like a dough at this stage. Keep stirring the mixture to prevent it from burning.

Then after a few minutes, the mixture will become dry, almost like sand (crumb-like texture). And you will be able to smell a nutty fragrance from the halwa.

Pour the warm milk and Kesar water in the pan. Continue cooking the halwa until all that liquid has completely absorbed and the halwa looks dry again.

Add elaichi or green cardamom powder and mix well.

Pour hot water into the pan and give it a good mix.

Cook it for a few minutes while stirring continuously.

Add sugar and give it a good mix.

Keep cooking over low heat until ghee separates from the halwa.

Add chopped almonds and pistachios. Mix well.

Pour it in the bowl and garnish with more chopped pistachios, almonds and strands of saffron. Serve hot.

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If you do try this recipe, please share your experience with me by posting a picture of the dish using #temptingtreat and @temptingtreat on Instagram or you can also give your feedback in the comments section below.
Happy Cooking!