Moong Dal Halwa – Indian Mung Bean Dessert

Moong Dal Halwa is a delicious and aromatic dessert from North India, but popular all over the country. Served hot with some lovely vanilla ice cream this moong dal sweet is just perfect!

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Halwa is an Indian dessert that is made in a lot of homes all over the country. I’m sure you’ve heard of and eaten dudhi halwa or kaddu ka halwa or apple halwa or even custard powder halwa or even sojee halwa. But moong dal halwa, that’s a really delicious one too!

The best moong dal halwa I ever tasted to date was at an office party at the Leela Mumbai way back in 2003. Went back for seconds too – for that and their baked Alaska.

What is moong dal halwa you ask? Moong dal ka halwa is a rich Indian dessert made with split yellow lentils, ghee, and sugar. It tastes so heavenly, it has to be classified as decadence. It’s pretty easy to make mung daal sweet at home, but just a little time-consuming as you need to soak the lentils beforehand.

It’s always fun to make mung halwa and serve it to friends who aren’t Indian. They try to identify it for quite some time and are really surprised when I tell them that we make this dessert with yellow lentils.

Have this mung daal ka halwa on a cold winter’s day and you’ll be as warm as a toast. Or have it cold, you’ll love it either way. Anyways, here’s how to make moong dal halwa at home. Comfort food at its best!

Is it better than moong dal curry or dal bhat tarkari? Well, it depends on what you’re looking for. Those are meals, this is dessert!

What Ingredients Do You Need To Make Moong Dal Halwa?

All you need to make this delicious moong dal halwa is moong dal which is split yellow mung lentils, ghee, powdered sugar, cardamom pods, and saffron as well. Also rose petals and almonds to garnish. And if you’ve bought extra rose petals, try my rose and coconut barfi next time. Or perhaps some homemade rose wine?

How To Make Moong Dal Halwa?

While making halwa, moong dal needs to be tender enough to cook. Start by soaking the split yellow mung lentils in water. You can keep this overnight or for about 3 hours if you are in a hurry to make it. Once it has soaked well, drain the water from the moong dal. Then add the soaked moong to a mixer-grinder and grind until you have a slightly coarse paste. If you need more water, you can add some to help with the grinding. But remember, the more water you add, the longer it will take to dry the halwa while cooking it later on.

Heat the ghee (clarified butter) in a kadai (deep Indian dish like a wok) and when it melts, add in the ground moong paste and mix well.

Stir the mixture continuously on a medium flame. The moong dal has a raw taste so you need to keep stirring until it is properly cooked. It should turn a darker golden color and have a lovely roasted moong dal aroma.

You will notice the texture will change in the process. It will go from mushy to lumpy to grainy. This is when you will add the powdered sugar and mix well and cook for a few minutes more. Then add in the strands of kesar and also the crushed cardamom for an even more delightful flavor.

Have a taste to see if it’s okay. You don’t need to do this, but really, why not? I always taste test what I make. It helps to know if I need to add something else before it’s done. Lastly, add a bit more ghee and stir the mixture for a few more minutes. And your Moong Dal Halwa is ready.

Serve in an earthen bowl and garnish with almond flakes and rose petals. Looks delicious, doesn’t it? Okay, seriously, serve it in any nice bowl you have! Take a bite and let me know what you think in the comments… The detailed recipe is below as always!

Cooking Tips And Tricks

• Remember to soak the moong dal in water for a while before grinding. overnight is best!
• Do not grind the dal to a completely fine paste, leave it a little coarse.
• You can add milk or mawa to make this easy moong dal halwa recipe even more richer.
• Use powdered sugar, so you do not have to worry about coarse sugar melting.

Questions About Making Moong Dal Halwa

What Is Moong Dal?

Moong dal is called yellow split gram in English. It is the inside of a green lentil or a whole mung bean.

How Long Can You Store Moong Dal Halwa?

Moong Dal Halwa can be stored in an air-tight container for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator or in the freezer for about 3 months.

Is Moong Dal Halwa Good For Health?

Moong Dal i.e. the split yellow lentil from which Moong Dal Halwa is made does have a good nutritional value.

What Are The Other Names For Moong Dal Halwa?

Moong Dal Halwa is also called moong ki dal ka halwa, moong dal sweet or mung dal ka halwa.

Other Recipes You Might Like

• Delicious Apple Halwa
• Rose Petal And Coconut Barfi
• Indian Bottle Gourd Halwa (Dudhi Or Lauki Halwa)
• Red Pumpkin Halwa (Kaddu Ka Halwa)
• Tasty Naralchi Wadi Or Kopra Pak Recipe