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Ashoka Halwa - Moong Dal Halwa - Pasiparuppu Halwa - Diwali Sweet Recipes

Ashoka Halwa recipe with full video and step by step pictures. Ashoka halwa is made using moong dal, wheat flour, sugar and ghee as the main ingredients. During my college days, I saw this halwa in a TV cookery show and prepared many times for Diwali and family occasions. Later, after marriage I have not prepared it frequently and thought of sharing this recipe in my blog for a long time. So today prepared this halwa with video and pictures to post in virundhombal for this Diwali. 


Actually, this halwa is an easy recipe without any complicated steps. The major work while making this halwa is you have to cook the moong dal till soft and then grind it to a smooth texture. For most of the halwa dishes, we have to add double the amount of sugar to get the lingering taste. Next important ingredient for halwa is ghee that holds up the halwa perfectly. Halwa starts to gather thicker on the sides of the kadai with the help of the ghee. If you are making halwas with apples, dates or carrots and beetroots it will naturally thicken easier when cooked with sugar. But when we make halwa with wheat flour, rava  or any lentil based halwas  it requires more ghee and sugar which is essential for good results. For halwa dishes, using a thick bottomed kadai will let you cook for a longer time without burning in the bottom. 

Here are a few important tips for Ashoka halwa

1. Cooking perfect halwa requires practice and little patience. Ashoka halwa takes a longer time to cool completely. So let the halwa cool overnight and check the halwa in the morning. If the halwa is still too loose or runny, pour it to kadai once again and stir until the ghee specks on the top of the halwa. Remember do not re-cook the halwa for a long time. 

2. The other main reason for halwa isn't setting is that it wasn't cooked long enough once the sugar had dissolved. After adding the sugar you have to stir constantly for 20 to 30 minutes with required ghee. 

3. Dry roasting the moong dal is very important for this halwa. Just dry roast the moong dals for a few minutes until it turns slightly golden and then pressure cook the dal with required water. Roasting the dals prevents the stickiness and the flavor is really good with the roasted dals.

4. Roasting wheat flour is very important for this halwa. Make sure to roast the wheat flour with a good amount of ghee  until it is slightly browned. If the flour is not roasted properly, you can get a raw smell in the halwa. 

5. You can use a combination of ghee and oil for this halwa but the taste and texture will differ. This halwa tastes best when made with ghee. 



Similar Halwa Recipes 

Ashoka Halwa - Moong Dal Halwa  Recipe Details

Prep time : 30 minutes
Cook time : 1 hour 
Yields : 500 grams
Category : dessert
Author : Muthulakshmi Madhavakrishnan


Ingredients 

  • 1 cup split moong dal
  • 2 tbsp wheat flour
  •  2 cups sugar
  • 1.5 cups ghee
  • few saffron 
  • 1 tsp cardamom powder
  • 1/2 tsp orange food colour

Cooking Directions 

Heat a heavy bottomed pan and add 1 cup split moong dal. Roast the dal on medium heat until it turns slightly golden. When you get a beautiful aroma, turn off the heat. Allow the dal to cool down for 10 minutes. 

After 10 minutes, add it to a pressure cooker along with 3 cups of water and pressure cook for 5 to 7 whistles.  You can add a tbsp of ghee while pressure cooking to avoid foaming. 


Allow the pressure to settle down naturally and transfer it to a wide bowl. Once it gets cooled, transfer it to a mixer jar and grind it smoothly with required water. Transfer the ground moong dal paste to a vessel and mix well with little water. 


Heat 1/2 cup ghee in a heavy bottomed and add the wheat flour. Fry the wheat flour on low heat until the flour is slightly browned. Do not let the flour burn. Keep stirring continuously for a few minutes.



Now add the ground moong dal paste and mix well with the wheat flour. Continue stirring on low heat until it gets thick.



Add sugar, food colour and stir well with the moong dal mixture. As the sugar melts, the halwa will be runny. Add ghee in three stages whenever the moong dal mixture absorbs the ghee. 




Add saffron and cardamom powder. When it starts sticking again add ghee and continue to stir until the whole mixture comes together without sticking.



At one stage, the halwa will stop absorbing ghee and it will start to let out at the edges. 


Roast the cashew nuts in a kadai with two tablespoons of ghee until golden brown and add it to the halwa. Once again give a quick stir and turn off the heat.


Let the halwa rest in the kadai heat for 20 to 30 minutes and then transfer it to a greased container. 


Delicious Ashoka halwa is ready to serve. It tastes good when served warm.



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