Moong Dal Ka Halwa

Ingredients:

• Yellow moong dal 1 cup
• Sugar syrup
• Sugar 1 1/4 cup
• Water 1 litre
• Green cardamom powder a pinch
• Saffaron 15-20 strands
• Ghee 1 cup (for cooking hlawa)
• Almond 1/4 cup (slivered)
• Cashew 1/4 cup (chopped)
• Rava 3 tbsp
• Gram flour 3 tbsp
• Nuts for garnishing

Method:

1. Wash the yellow moong dal well to remove the dirt, further pat dry and allow to dry for a while.
2. Now set a non-stick pan and dry roast the washed moong dal on medium heat until its completely dry and the colour changes slightly.
3. Once roasted well, transfer over a plate and cool down completely, further transfer it in a grinding jar and grind to make coarse powder, it should not be too coarse just the powder has to be little grainy. Keep it aside to be used for making the halwa.
4. For the sugar syrup, add water, sugar, green cardamom powder & saffron strands, mix well and bring to a boil, once boiled switch off the flame and keep it aside to be used later in making the halwa.
5. Set a little big size wok on medium heat, add the ghee and let the ghee heat a little bit, further add the nuts and fry them until the colour changes to golden brown in colour, make sure to stir while frying as the colour tends to darken quickly. Remove it in a plate and keep aside.
6. Now in the same ghee and wok add the rava & besan, keep stirring and cook it on low flame until the colour changes to biscuity in colour and it becomes aromatic, make sure to keep stirring while cooking or it'll burn.
7. As the colour reaches to biscuit colour add the grounded dal powder and stir continuously on low flame until the colour changes to biscuity, during the entire process if you feel the flame is little higher and is getting darker quickly you can switch off the flame and keep stirring, this process of cooking would take a little time but it’s very important.
8. As the colour reaches to the biscuity colour stage add the prepared sugar syrup in batches, make sure to add the syrup in batches and be careful while adding it.
9. Initially you’ll feel its very watery, but the dal will soak in the water as and when you'll stir & cook, after adding the entire sugar syrup you have to keep stirring and cooking till all the moisture is absorbed and the ghee is separated. This process will take time around half an hour and you have to be patient enough.
10. As the ghee will start to release, increase the flame a little higher and stir & cook for 5-7 minutes, the texture of halwa will become crumbly and the colour will also darken.
11. Now, we can add the roasted nuts at this stage and mix well. Your moong dal ka halwa is ready. Serve warm by garnishing with slivered nuts.