If you think of a winter wedding, moong dal halwa is a must item in a menu. I still remember big, wide iron skillet with ghee laden moong dal halwa garnished with nuts in all winter weddings in India. Its already spring in US but the winter is still staying strong with its chillness and wind. I take this as a opportunity to make this sweet winter dish Moong Dal Halwa before saying adieu to winter with a promise to meet again.
Moong dal halwa is a lentil based sweet cooked with generous amount of ghee. it is believed that the halwa keeps the body warm and protects it from the harshness of winter. This is a claasic rajasthani dish which demands lots of patience and strength to sauté the dal on medium low flame stirring continuously whole time.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Moong Daal (split yellow lentils)
- 1 cup Ghee (if u want to make it more rich use 2 cups of Ghee)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 tsp Green Cardamom Powder
- 1/2 cup Khoya
- 1 cup finely chopped mixed nuts of your choice
- (I used Almond, Pistachios and Cashew nut)
Method
- Wash moong dal thoroughly and soak it in water, overnight.
- Grind it to a smooth paste in a food processor.
- Heat the ghee in a heavy-bottomed non-stick pan on a medium flame.
- Add the moong daal paste to the ghee and mix it well.
- Cook the moong daal, stirring frequently till it begins to turn golden and release its aroma.(for me it takes almost an hour)
- In the mean time prepare simple sugar syrup by mixing sugar and water.
- Add the khoya and mix well. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Now add sugar syrup and cardamom powder. Mix it well.
- Cook on a medium flame for another 5-7 minutes, stirring continuously till you can see ghee on the sides of the pan.
- Add the mixed nut and taste for the sweetness. (Add more sugar and cook for another 5 mins if needed)
- Garnish with chopped nuts and serve warm.