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Chana dal halwa
Chane ki dal ka halwa: Punjabi slow-fried split chickpea halwa for winter weddings
At Punjabi weddings in Lahore and Faisalabad in the cold months, the dessert table often carries a big tray of chana dal halwa beside the gajar halwa. Soaked split chickpeas are ground and fried slowly in ghee until they smell of roasted nuts and turn deep golden, then cooked with milk, sugar and cardamom into a rich, grainy halwa that keeps for days. It takes patience and a strong arm. Chef's tip: keep the heat low and scrape the bottom constantly; the dal catches fast once it starts to brown.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 9 oz chana dal (split chickpeas)soaked 4 hours
- 2 cups whole milk
- 5 ½ oz ghee
- 7 oz sugar
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 pinch saffron threads (optional)soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk
- 1 oz almondsslivered
- 1 oz pistachiosslivered
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What you'll need
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain the 9 oz chana dal (split chickpeas) and simmer it in the 2 cups whole milk in a heavy pan for 20–25 minutes, stirring often, until the dal is soft and crushes easily and the milk has almost gone.
25 minStep 2: Let it cool a little, then grind to a thick, slightly coarse paste in a food processor.
5 minStep 3: Melt the 5 ½ oz ghee in a wide, heavy pan over a low heat. Add the paste and fry, scraping and folding, for 25–30 minutes. It will be stiff at first, then loosen, and is ready when it is deep golden, smells like toasted nuts and the ghee starts to separate at the edges. A common mistake is raising the heat to rush it; it scorches and turns bitter.
30 minStep 4: Add the 7 oz sugar and 1 tsp ground cardamom with the 1 pinch saffron threads if using. The halwa turns runny as the sugar melts; keep stirring for 6–8 minutes until it thickens again and leaves the sides of the pan.
8 minStep 5: Stir in half the ½ oz almonds and ½ oz pistachios. Serve warm, scattered with the rest of the ½ oz almonds and ½ oz pistachios. Keeps a week in the fridge; warm before serving.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chana dal halwa take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
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