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Moong dal halwa
Moong dal pudding
मूंग दाल का हलवा: soaked moong dal ground coarse and stirred in ghee until grainy and golden, then cooked with saffron milk (plus 4 hours soaking)
At Rajasthani and Marwari weddings in winter, the halwai's moong dal halwa is the dish people go back for. It is also made at home for Holi, when it is cooked in big kadhais and passed around warm. Soaked yellow moong dal is ground to a coarse paste and roasted in ghee for the best part of an hour, first clumping into a heavy mass, then breaking down into golden grains that smell of toasted nuts and ghee. Hot saffron milk and sugar go in at the end and are cooked back until the ghee glistens. The result is rich, grainy, buttery and fragrant, best served warm in small bowls with slivered almonds. It needs steady stirring and a strong arm, so share the job. Chef's tip: grind the dal with as little water as possible; a wet paste takes far longer to roast and turns sticky instead of grainy.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the halwa
- 7 oz split yellow moong dalsoaked for 4 hours
- 5 ½ oz ghee
For the saffron milk
- 1 ¾ cups full-fat milk
- ½ cup water
- 6 ½ oz sugar
- 1 pinch saffron strands
To finish
- 1 tsp ground green cardamom
- 2 tbsp almonds and pistachiosslivered
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Drain 7 oz split yellow moong dal completely in a sieve for 10 minutes, then grind to a coarse, grainy paste, adding no more than 1–2 tbsp water.
15 minStep 2: Heat 1 ¾ cups full-fat milk, ½ cup water, 6 ½ oz sugar and 1 pinch saffron strands in a pan until the sugar dissolves. Keep it hot on the lowest heat.
5 minStep 3: Melt 5 ½ oz ghee in a heavy kadhai over a low-medium heat. Add the dal paste and stir, breaking up the lumps.
Step 4: Keep stirring and scraping constantly. For the first 15 minutes it thickens and clumps into one heavy mass; keep pressing and breaking it with the spatula.
15 minStep 5: Carry on for another 20–25 minutes on a low heat until it turns into loose, golden-brown grains, smells nutty and the ghee starts to separate. Common mistake: raising the heat to save time; the outside burns while the dal inside stays raw and pasty.
25 minStep 6: Standing back, pour in the hot saffron milk; it will splutter. Stir until absorbed, 8–10 minutes, until the halwa leaves the sides of the pan and the ghee glistens again.
10 minStep 7: Stir in 1 tsp ground green cardamom, scatter over 2 tbsp almonds and pistachios and serve warm.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 530 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 56 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does moong dal halwa take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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 ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of full-fat milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
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