Moong Dal Halwa

3 standard portions

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup moong dal [120 grams] (also known as split moong bean lentil)
• 1/2 cup ghee (also known as clarified butter)
• 1/2 cup sugar [add 1-2 tablespoons more for sweetness]
• 2 cups + 2 tablespoons milk
• pinch of saffron strands
• 4-5 green cardamom (seeds take out and crushed using a mortar and pestle)
• sliced nuts (to garnish [I used chopped almonds, pistachios and cashews])
• 3 tablespoons water (to grind the dal)
• chandi ka vark (also know as edible silver leaves [optional, for garnish])

Method

1. Wash and soak the moong dal overnight. Drain the water and set aside. If you can't soak the dal overnight, soak for at least 4 hours.
2. Using your blender or food processor, grind the dal using very little water. I used around 3 tablespoons, start with 1 tablespoon and add more as required to grind.
3. Meanwhile heat ghee in a pan on medium heat. Once the ghee is hot add the grind dal to the pan.
4. Now comes the fun part - exercise! Keep stirring and cooking the halwa on low heat. Keep mashing with a spatula so that there aren't any lumps.
5. Meanwhile heat 2 cups + 2 tablespoons of milk. Once the milk is warm, take out 2 tablespoons from it in a bowl and add saffron strands to it. Set aside.
6. You have to cook on low flame till raw smell goes away and color changes a bit. This will take around 20 minutes and at 20 minutes you will also notice ghee oozing out of the sides.
7. Once the dal is roasted, add the 2 cups warm milk to it. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly.
8. Now add the sugar, soaked saffron milk, crushed cardamom and chopped nuts (if using).
9. Cook on low heat, keep stirring every now and then. First it will be all liquid-y as the sugar melts.
10. Keep stirring till halwa leaves sides of the pan, around 15-20 minutes.
11. Remove heat from pan, transfer halwa to serving bowl, garnish with some nuts and serve immediately!