Traditional and Low-Calorie Moong Dal Halwa Recipes - 24 Mantra Organic

Indian desserts are well-known for their richness and intense flavours. And while desserts, by themselves, get a bad reputation for being “unhealthy,” there are several desserts with a healthy twist. Consider the moong dal halwa, for example. Who would have thought that you could transform your humble dal into a delectable halwa?

The moong dal halwa recipes make use of moong lentils and clarified butter (ghee) to create a dish that is destined to delight your tastebuds. And since we are talking about health, it is worth mentioning that you can enhance the healthiness of your moong dal halwa recipes by making use of organic products. Ingredients such as organic moong dal, ghee, and sugar possess a flavourful depth. Furthermore, these do not contain any chemicals or pesticides and are hence a healthier alternative to its counterparts. Lastly, it imparts a vibrant colour to your dish, which will make your moong dal halwa recipes an instant hit!

In this post, we will explore two moong dal halwa recipes. The first would be the traditional technique, which may seem arduous but is well-worth all the time and effort. The second of the moong dal halwa recipes is a low-calorie version with suitable substitutions.

So are you rearing to check out the moong dal halwa recipes? Here we go!

Traditional Moong Dal Halwa Recipes

Following are the ingredients that you will need for the traditional moong ki daal ka halwa:

• A cup of husked, split organic Moong dal
• Half a cup of ghee
• A cup of full-fat milk
• Two cups of water
• A cup of sugar
• Four pods of green cardamom
• Slivered nuts such as almonds and pistachio
• A tablespoon of raisins

Here are the steps for preparing the moong dal halwa recipes:

1. Allow the moong dal to soak overnight. If you are in a hurry, soaking them in lukewarm water for about four hours would suffice.
2. Drain out the liquid and grind the moong dal into a fine paste.
3. Heat the ghee in a heavy-bottomed, non-stick pan. Add to it the moong dal paste and stir them both together.
4. Continue stirring it constantly while keeping the flame on low. At this stage, the mixture will smell “raw.”
5. At first, the paste will be runny and may even splutter a little. It will then gain a lumpy texture, keep breaking these lumps and do not stop stirring. Soon enough, the ghee will separate from the dal, and the dry-ish mixture will cook in ghee.
6. As you keep roasting the moong dal paste in the ghee, you will gradually notice the aroma, which will indicate that the paste is cooked. Simultaneously, you will see that the paste has acquired a dark yellow colour.
7. While the moong dal is cooking, take a kadhai and pour in the milk, water, and sugar in it. Put the utensil on the flame and stir the contents until the sugar dissolves. Lower the heat and allow it to simmer until it starts to bubble.
8. The ghee will completely separate from the moong dal as it gains a granular texture. The grains will be lightly golden and translucent.
9. Add the milk mixture to the moong dal halwa and stir it well. Be careful as the contents may sizzle or splutter.
10. Allow the paste to simmer and keep stirring it occasionally.
11. Once the halwa absorbs all the liquid, you will once again witness the ghee oozing out from the paste.
12. Meanwhile, use a mortar and pestle to pound the cardamom pods. You want a powder consistency.
13. Sprinkle the cardamom powder in the halwa and give everything a good, final stir. Take your halwa off the flame and garnish it with the dry fruits and nuts.

Low-Calorie Moong Dal Halwa Recipes

To make your moong dal halwa recipes low-calorie, here are the modifications that you will have to make:

• Cut down the quantity of ghee to half a cup. It will take away the richness of the moong ki daal ka halwa and will take longer to roast, but it will also cut down on the calories. Alternatively, you can substitute ghee with rice bran oil.
• Replace the sugar with organic cane sugar or brown sugar in a 1:1 ratio.
• You may even choose artificial sweetener to swap out the sugar. The quantity depends on the nature of the sweetener. For example, you will have to take 1.25 cups of erythritol while you will have to use 0.25 cups of stevia. Do bear in mind that these may either have a mild laxative effect and an after-taste, respectively.

The process of preparing the moong dal halwa would remain the same as outlined in the traditional recipe.

So there you go. Choose organic moong dal, ghee, and sugar as these are chemical-free and rich in antioxidants. That was our take on all things moong dal.

Try 24 Mantra Organics’s Moong dal and enjoy Moong Dal Halwa Recipe