Moong dal Halwa is one of the most popular North Indian sweet dish which is usually made on festivals like Holi, Diwali, Rakshabandhan etc. Taste of Moong dal halwa is rich, aromatic and cannot be resisted.

Ingredients:

Yellow Moong Dal - 1 kg

Sugar - 1 kg

Desi ghee - 1 kg

Homemade cream/ Malai - 2 cups

Green cardamon powder - 1 tsp

Saffron/ Kesar strands - a few

Dry fruits (Almonds, Cashewnuts, Raisins, Pista) - As desired

Step 1: Method

1. Soak yellow moong dal in sufficient water for 2-3 hours till it puffs up nicely. Drain extra water and grind the dal in mixer grinder to form a coarse paste without using water.

2. Melt desi ghee in a heavy bottom kadai or non stick kadai leaving 1 cup of desi ghee aside. Add the yellow moong dal paste into it. Initially the paste is very sticky so it tends to stick and becomes lumpy. So stir the paste continuously on low flame til the paste and ghee blends nicely.

3. Keep on cooking the paste till the halwa gets to a granular consistency and the colour of paste turns little light golden. It will take 30 minutes. Add cream and cook for some more time till ghee separates.

4. Add 1 cup desi ghee to give more shine to halwa. Add chopped/sliced dry fruits.

5. To enhance the colour of halwa, add saffron strands soaked in warm milk. Add cardamon powder in the same mixture.

6. Simultaneously, heat 10 cups of water in a pan. Once the halwa leaves ghee, add hot water, sugar in the mixture. Mix well. The water will evaporate after some time. Keep on stirring the halwa till it dries up nicely and ghee separates from the halwa.

7. Serve hot and garnish with sliced dry fruits of choice.