Moong dal halwa is a rich, grainy pudding of soaked and ground yellow lentils roasted slowly in ghee until deep golden, then simmered with sweetened milk and cardamom. The long roast gives it a toasty, caramel flavor and a soft, crumbly texture glossy with ghee. Makes 6 servings in about 5 hr 15 min.
Prep15 min
Cook60 min
Cooling4 hr
Total
5 hr 15 min
Servings
6
DietGluten free
Ingredients
Adjust yield
servings
Scales from a half to a double batch; give a bigger batch a little more time.
Rinse the split yellow moong dal until the water runs clear, cover with plenty of fresh water and soak for 4 hours. Drain well.
Grind the dal with the 30 ml water to a thick, coarse paste, like wet semolina; do not make it smooth.
Melt the ghee in a heavy, wide pan (nonstick helps) over medium-low heat. Add the dal paste; it will be lumpy at first. Stir and break it up constantly with a flat spatula.
Keep cooking and stirring over medium-low heat until the paste loosens, turns grainy, deepens to golden brown, smells toasty and the ghee separates from the dal, 35 to 45 minutes. Lower the heat if it browns in spots.
Meanwhile, bring the whole milk and granulated sugar to a simmer in a separate pan, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Keep hot.
Standing back, pour the hot milk into the roasted dal in two or three additions; it will spit and steam. Stir well after each addition.
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until the milk is absorbed, the halwa thickens and pulls away from the pan and the ghee shows again at the edges, 8 to 12 minutes. Stir in the ground cardamom.
Spoon into bowls, scatter with the almonds and pistachios, and serve warm.
Tips
Patience is the recipe: stop roasting too early and the halwa tastes of raw lentils.
Use a heavy pan and keep scraping the bottom; the paste sticks and scorches easily in the first 15 minutes.
The halwa firms as it cools; loosen leftovers with a splash of warm milk when reheating.
Hot milk added to the roasted dal spatters violently; add it in parts and stand back. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
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How long does it take to make moong dal halwa (lentil ghee pudding)?
Plan on 15 minutes of prep and 1 hour of cooking, plus 4 hours to rest. The recipe makes 6 servings.
How should I store moong dal halwa (lentil ghee pudding)?
Cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days; reheat gently until warm.
Can I make moong dal halwa (lentil ghee pudding) ahead?
It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.
Serve it with masala chai.
Variations
Saffron and almond: soak a pinch of saffron threads in 15 ml (1 tbsp) of the warm milk for 10 minutes and add with the milk; double the almonds to 40 g (1/3 cup).
Khoa-rich halwa: crumble 80 g (1/2 cup) khoa (mawa) into the halwa after the milk is absorbed and cook 3 to 4 minutes more.
Make-ahead: cool, refrigerate up to 4 days and reheat in a pan over low heat with 30 ml (2 tbsp) milk, about 5 minutes.
Estimated · per serving
Nutrition
Per serving = 1 of 6 servings this recipe makes.
529Calories / serving
30.3gFat
55.6gCarbs
11.2gProtein
35.7gSugar
Whole recipe (6 servings):
~3174 cal ·
182g fat ·
334g carbs ·
67g protein ·
214g sugar
Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.
Made with VanillaGoods
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