MOONG DAL HALWA

Moong dal Halwa

  I know nothing about this halwa and never heard about it until I came across ready to eat recipe of moong dal halwa in a grocery store. When I searched in the web I found that it is a very rich, classic traditional dish from Rajasthan. It is specially made for marriages and special occasions. It is a very high calorie sweet made with lot of ghee and even requires a lot of patience in preparing it. Although I made it for the first time it turned out beautifully. Here is the procedure for making the halwa.

INGREDIENTS

• Moong dal                          1cup
• Sugar                                  1 cup
• Ghee                                  3/4 cup
• Cardamom                          a pinch
• Dry fruits                            3 Tsp
• Milk                                     1 cup

PROCEDURE
Dry roast the dal on a low flame for a few minutes till the raw flavor is gone ( the color should not be changed) and soak the moong dal for atleast 5 hours and grind it into a soft thick paste. In a pan add half cup of melted ghee and moong dal paste and mix well. Now set the pan on fire and keep the the flame to the least( the dal cooks so quickly and tends to form lumps, so keep the flame very low). Keep on stirring continuously and you will see the dal absorbing all the ghee. Keep on stirring until the dal oozes out the ghee. At this point slowly add the  milk,sugar and remaining ghee a Tablespoon of each alternatively and keep stirring. Now you can feel a nice aroma of the halwa. The halwa tend to form a lump and leaves the sides of the pan.  Now add the ghee roasted dry fruits and when a lump of the halwa is formed,take it into a serving dish and serve hot.
TIPS

• The entire procedure should be done on a slow flame.
• Milk can be skipped and khoya can be used at the end.
• Preferably use a non stick pan for making the halwa.
• Mix the milk and sugar well and add the melted ghee to this milk. Add this slowly to the cooked dal.