Moong Dal ka Halwa (Indian Yellow Lentils Dessert)

Photo Courtesy: Dr. Debarshi Chatterji

Moong Dal ka Halwa is a popular dessert all over Northern India. This rustic sweet dessert is not only delectable but healthy as well. You may not like Moong Dal because of its sweet bland taste but you will absolutely love this Halwa. Moong Dal does not taste much but when you add a good amount of Ghee and nuts in it, it becomes this fragrant, delicious dessert which nobody can deny. Now this process requires some time and effort but the result is so sweet and rich that you wont mind doing that extra labor. I prepared this dessert a few days back for the Lakshmi Puja and I was glad to see everyone enjoying it a lot. I guess we eat a lot of Bengali sweets here (in Kansas City) but almost never a typical North Indian dessert. It was so delicious that Debarshi and I greedily finished the leftover Halwa. I am telling you, if you want to enjoy something new and nutritious this winter, you must give this a try.

I have not eaten Moong Dal ka Halwa in the last few years. However, it used to be one of my absolute favorites while living in Delhi. I had a sweet shop right in front of my apartment and every weekend, I used to go there and sample different sweets (remember I used to be really chubby back then). Delhi gets quite cold in winter months and since this Halwa is served hot, it makes you feel warm and comforted. 

Now this Halwa will take a lot of time to cook through. It is mainly because we will be starting with a paste of moong dal which has to be dried, fried, cooked in milk and then dried and fried again. Because of all these steps, it is bound to take some extra time. However, I assure you, once it is ready, it will be worth every bit of your precious time. 

The best part, if you are already working in the kitchen then it will give you the perfect opportunity to prepare this Halwa. You don’t need a lot of effort, just some time. Since Moong dal tastes sweet it makes for a perfect base for preparing this Halwa. It is flavored with cardamom powder, Ghee and lots of nuts. I think it is astonishing how by adding fat and frying, we can convert a bland dal paste to something as mouth watering as this.

In Northern India, you can find this Halwa in almost all the sweet shops. During winter months, it is not unusual to see even the street vendors selling this dessert. However, personally if I can prepare something at home from scratch I prefer to do so. It gives me a confidence that whatever I am eating or sharing with my family or friends is pure. I always choose organic and fresh ingredients and of course home cooked meals do not have preservatives in them. So, I would encourage you to try this at home yourself. Make it a weekend project!

Winters is not the ideal time to loose weight because of all the holidays and good food. Therefore, I would recommend you to try this now. This Halwa is so rich it is almost a sin to enjoy it alone. I am sure you have friends or family who love Indian desserts so whenever you do prepare this, share!

Make sure to serve this delicious Halwa as the star of the show. Start with some yummy hot Parathas or your special curry. This Halwa is utterly irresistible and with every bite, you will crave for more. By serving this as the final course, you will be sure not to over eat a lot. If you have guests coming over, I would definitely recommend you to give this a try. Believe me you are sure to get some standing ovations!

If the Halwa looks like it might need a little bit more ghee, then add it! This is supposed to be rich and its texture should look beautifully fried. If the color is pale, then it needs to cook more. 

Also, do use a good non stick pan so that you can keep frying the Halwa without worrying about it sticking on the bottom.

Homemade desserts are the best!

Ingredients:

• Moong Dal – ½ cup, split husked yellow, washed
• Ghee – ½ cup + 2-3 tablespoons
• Sugar – ½ cup + 2 tablespoons
• Cardamom Powder - 1/8 teaspoon
• Milk – ½ cup
• Water - 1 ½ cups
• Cashews - ¼ cup
• Raisins – ¼ cup

Tip: Use Mortar Pestle to ground the Cardamom.

Preparation:

• Plan this step ahead: Soak the Moong Dal in enough water overnight. 
• Drain the Moong Dal. Transfer to your grinder (Nutri Bullet) cup. Add ¼ (do not add more than 1/3 cup) of water.
• Make a smooth paste.

Directions:

• Heat a non stick pan over medium high heat.
• Add the Ghee in it. As soon as it melts add the Moong Dal paste in it. Stir well.
• Reduce the heat to medium – medium low and keep stirring occasionally. Continue this step till you can no longer smell the raw aroma of the dal. Keep stirring and cooking. 
• The dal will soon start changing its texture from pale to lumpy. Break the lumps with a spatula and continue cooking. The dal at this stage will be very dry.
• Now heat a pot on medium heat. Add the Milk, water and Sugar in it.
• Stir occasionally till the sugar dissolves.

• The moong dal should be at a granular consistency before you add the hot milk blend. It should give a fried aroma and the color should turn to a light golden. You will also notice the Ghee getting separated.

• Notice the change in color and texture.
• Now bring the milk blend to a boil then add it to the fried dal.
• The dal will sizzle, so be careful while adding the liquid.

• Now stir it well. Turn down the heat to low and continue cooking. Stir it occasionally.
• Keep cooking till all the liquid is absorbed in the dal.
• Now add the Cardamom Powder and nuts.

• Continue cooking till the mixture once again looks fried and you can see the Ghee getting separated.
• Moong Dal ka Halwa is ready! Serve it hot.

Some more recipes with Moong Dal (Yellow Lentils):

• Moonger dal (Yellow Lentils soup)
• Moonger Daler Khichuri (One Pot dish with rice, lentils and vegetables)

Recommended Reading (some more Indian desserts):

• Chaler Payesh (Bengali style Rice Pudding)
• Allahabadi Fruit Cream
• Gobindobhog Chal diye Patali Gurer Payesh (Bengali Rice Pudding with Date Palm Jaggery)
• Rabri (Clotted Cream in Condensed Milk)
• Sevai ki Kheer (Semai Payesh / Vermicelli Pudding)
• Dry Fruit Laddu (Mamma’s homemade sweets with dry fruits)
• Gujiya (Crispy Flaky Indian Sweet Dumpling stuffed with Milk Solids and Nuts)
• Gajar ka Halwa (Indian Carrot Dessert)