Classic Indian dessert - moong dal halwa

My eldest sister got married in the late 70's. Back then, the 5 star marriage culture had not crept in. Food was prepared in a very traditional manner with the halwai being called a good week in advance for making the sweets. Moong dal halwa was one of the desserts served in the marriage and as usual, the halwai made everything in excess. What I remember is how much fun it was, eating this delicious mithai for a long time, much after the marriage was over.

Though the halwai culture is pretty much extinct, at least in the cities, Moong dal halwa has still not lost its appeal and is still a huge favorite. In fact my daughter who does not (unlike the rest of the family) have a sweet tooth never says no to this awesome mithai.

Moong dal halwa is a traditional Indian sweet - sinfully rich and dripping with ghee. It is still a regular feature in marriages and has thankfully not gone out of fashion. It is pretty straightforward to prepare this dessert ... though one does need to make sure that the paste is not finely ground and remains coarse / grainy, so as to ensure the right texture of the halwa. Also it requires constant stirring in the initial stage, to prevent, the paste from sticking to the bottom of the wok. It is subtly flavored with cardamom and saffron and tastes best when eaten hot. Though it is usually made in winter months ... but honestly such a yummy sweet can be had any time. The calorie conscious may reduce the desi ghee and khoya by half, if they so desire - it is definitely very rich for the health buffs. In fact even I was in two minds about adding so much of ghee but later realized that the halwa soaks up the ghee pretty fast particularly if it is not eaten immediately after being made.

Moong dal halwa

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Serves: 6

1 cup split green gram (dhuli moong dal)

1 cup clarified butter (desi ghee)

1 cup sugar

1 cup concentrated milk (khoya/ mawa) crumbled

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon cardamom (elaichi) powder

A generous pinch of saffron

10 - 12 blanched and peeled almonds sliced into slivers

Soak the moong dal (split green gram) for 6 -7 hours.Grind the dal coarsely with very little water.

In a pan add the sugar and one cup of water and boil, till the sugar dissolves and the syrup thickens slightly. Keep aside until required. Soak the saffron in warm milk.

Heat the ghee in a thick bottomed kadai (wok) and add 1 tablespoon of whole wheat flour or chick pea flour/ besan (this prevents the dal from sticking to the kadai and forming lumps) and then add the ground dal. Cook, stirring continuously, over low heat till golden brown, this will take around half-an-hour. Add the sugar syrup and saffron milk. Stir constantly till everything is well mixed and then add in the khoya and cook till the ghee starts showing up in the halwa. Lastly, add the cardamom powder and mix it all well.

Serve hot garnished with almond slivers

 

 moong dal halwa

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