Indian cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Moong Dal Halwa

Rajasthani winter dessert: soaked mung beans are ground to a paste and roasted very slowly in ghee to a grainy mass.

Ingredients · for 6 servings

• 200 g moong dal (split, skinned mung beans)
• 200 g ghee
• 200 g sugar
• 500 ml whole milk
• 250 ml water
• 1/2 tsp saffron threads
• 5 cardamom pods
• 60 g almonds
• 40 g cashews
• 40 g raisins

Instructions

1. Wash the moong dal thoroughly and soak in cold water for at least 4 hrs., ideally overnight, then drain very well and grind with at most 3 tbsp water to a coarse-grained paste.
2. Coarsely chop the almonds and cashews, crush the cardamom seeds in a mortar and soak the saffron in 2 tbsp warm milk.
3. Melt the ghee in a wide, heavy pan, stir in the dal paste and roast over low to medium heat for 35–45 min., stirring almost constantly.
4. The mixture passes through a sticky stage, later releases from the bottom of the pan and finally turns crumbly and golden brown with a nutty aroma – only then is it fully roasted.
5. Heat the milk, water, sugar and saffron milk and pour in gradually while stirring; simmer for a further 12–15 min. until the liquid is absorbed and the ghee separates at the edge.
6. Fold in the cardamom, nuts and raisins, let rest covered for 5 min. and serve the halwa warm in small bowls.