Moong Dal Halwa is a famous Indian dessert from the land of palaces and kings, Rajasthan. It is super rich with ghee, lots of nuts, Mawa, Cardamom, and saffron-infused sugar water. Delicious and decadent, this dessert is one of our family favorites.
Halwa is a homely Indian dessert; however, the word itself comes from the Middle East. There are several types of halwa and their main ingredients are always different. Semolina flour, whole wheat flour, carrots, beetroots, squash, gram flour, and sometimes lentils.
Moong Dal is split and skinned green gram lentils/yellow lentils. I love making dishes with lentils. For example, I make pakodas, Lentil Crepe/Moong Dal Chila Stuffed with Paneer/fresh cottage cheese and veg stuffing, Instant Pot Moong Dal with Bottle Gourd/Zucchini, and Moong Dal Kachori. However, these dishes are savory.
Moong Dal Halwa is a difficult Indian dessert to make, and most people buy it from the sweet shops. Here, I am sharing a recipe which is easy and also only uses a few ingredients.
What Ingredients Do You Need for Moong Dal Halwa?
You will need Moong dal, ghee, sugar, saffron, cardamom powder, gram flour, and Sooji. Everything is easily available in most pantries and Indian grocery stores. On top of these ingredients, you will also need lots of Indian nuts to give richness to the Halwa.
How Do You Make Moong Dal Halwa?
Wash the Moong dal properly and soak it for 4-5 hours. Then, drain the water and grind it into a coarse paste. After that, take a pan and heat it. Add ghee to the pan. First, saute a very small quantity of gram flour and semolina in the ghee.
This roasting will be done on low flame. Make the flame very low and make sure that your pan is not very hot. Add moong dal paste to it. Stir it slowly on low-medium flame till it looks light brown and granular. You need to keep it stirring for at least 25-30 minutes.
Make saffron sugar syrup and add it to the roasted moong dal. Stir it continuously till both mixes with each other. Add grated Mawa, crushed nuts, and cardamom to it. You will see that by now, the halwa has released the oil. Lastly, switch off the flame. Your Moong Dal Halwa is ready to enjoy.
Can You Store Moong Dal Halwa?
Absolutely; you can store moong dal halwa in a freezer for up to 1 month. However, keep in mind that the container should be freezer-safe and those small containers are preferred.
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Moong Dal Halwa
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Moong Dal/Split Green Gram Lentil
- 1.5 Cup Sugar
- 1.5 Cup Ghee
- 1 tbsp Sooji
- 1 Tbsp Besan
- 1.5 Cup Water
- 1 Tsp Cardamom Powder(optional)
- 10-12 Strand Saffron
- ½ Cup Mawa
- 1 Cup Mixed Chopped Nuts.
Instructions
- Wash moong dal and soak it for 5-6 hours.
- Drain the water and make a fine paste of it by using grinder.Try not to use any water while making the paste.
- Take apan .Add sugar ,water and saffron to it .Boil it till sugar disolve.You don't have to make sugar syrup.
- Take another Pan.Add ghee to it.
- When its hot lower the flame and add sooji and besan .Cook till they look light brown and you can smell the aroma.
- Add moong dal paste now .Stir it and make sure it does;t have any lumps.Do it on low flame .
- Stir it and cook it on low flame till starts to brown .It will take around 20-25 minute .Sometimes it takes more .It should be done on low flame .Do not rush this process.It takes time.
- When dal is cooked it will release a heavenly aroma.
- Add sugar saffron water to it .Mix it and let it absorb all the liquid.
- Add grated mawa at this stage and cook on medium low flame till it releases ghee.
- Add chopped nuts and serve .
I have tried this recipe. But the quantity of ghee was so much that the dal paste was foamy till the end. And after adding the sugar syrup ,, it was like atta ke halwa kind of texture .. where did I went wrong? Followed the exact quantities of the ingredients
Hi Alka ,
I am so sorry that texture didn't come out well. If after frying for long time the granular texture is not coming then may be moong dal is very fine in texture .It should be coarse.
I am really confused and clueless here.
My Apologies .
Smita