A recipe from Priya at Deccan Tiffin, who runs pop-up supper clubs in Brighton and Hove.
This dessert from North India, also known as Moong Dal Halwa, is popular in winter months for its warming properties.
If you want to make a vegan/dairy-free version you can use coconut oil instead of butter and a dairy-free milk.
It’s naturally gluten-free.
Mung Daal Halwa
A sweet and sustaining dessert from North India, courtesy of Deccan Tiffin
Ingredients
- 250 g dried mung beans yellow ones without the green skins
- 250 g unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder available in Asian shops or make at home by taking the seeds out of the pods and grinding them
- 150 g of sugar – you can reduce or increase the quantity to suit your taste
- 1/2 pint of milk – you may not need all of this
- 1 teaspoon pistachio slivers
- 1 small sheet of edible silver optional for decoration
Instructions
- Dry roast the mung beans in a frying pan (on medium heat) until they slightly change colour and start to smell toasted.
- Let them cool. Grind them into a coarse powder and set aside.
- Heat the block of butter in a heavy bottomed wok or deep pan.
- When it is all melted, lower the heat to medium and add the mung bean powder.
- Stir this around until the powder goes another shade darker but take care not to let it burn.
- Add the sugar and cardamom powder and stir so that it is distributed evenly in the mixture. At this stage the mixture will look quite runny.
- Lower the heat and start adding the milk about 4 tablespoons at a time.
- The halwa will start to thicken. Continue doing this until the halwa comes together and leaves the sides of the pan. It should have the consistency of a soft dough.
- Taste a bit to see if the mung bean powder is cooked. If it is slightly crunchy that is fine but it should not taste raw.
- Let the halwa cool down a little bit before spooning into a mould of your choice.
- Sprinkle with pistachio slivers and apply the edible silver sheet before serving for a really professional look.
Other recipes you may like:
• Mughlai Royal Venison Qorma
• Spicy Chillish® Prawn Noodles
• Bacon jam