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Asoka halwa

Asoka Halwa - Thiruvaiyaru special Halwa

Hearty & a Humble Thiruvaiyaru Special - Asoka Halwa
Course Dessert
Cuisine Indian, Tamil Nadu
Keyword Ashoka halwa, Mung dal halwa, Thiruvaiyaru halwa
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 10 to 12 persons
Calories per serving 460 kcal
Author Nisha

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mung dal - pasi parupu
  • 1.5 to 2 cups sugar
  • ¾ cup ghee, divided
  • ¼ cup wheat flour
  • ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 2 tablespoon cashews broken and roasted in ghee
  • A pinch of red food colour mix it in a tablespoon water

Instructions

  1. Roasting the mung dal: Dry roast the mung dal until it starts emiting aroma and a slight change in colour occur. (refer note 1)

  2. Cook and grind the mung dal: Pressure cook the dal until it is smashed and mushy. Keep for about 7-8 whistles in a Indian style pressure cooker.

    Once the pressure is released, transfer the cooked dal to a blender. While it is still warm, blend the dal mixture in a blender/mixie. Set aside. Keep it closed so that it does not become dry. (refer note 2)

  3. Making Asoka Halwa: Heat a heavy bottomed pan, add 4 tablespoon ghee and roast the wheat flour until it becomes golden brown. Do not burn it. Keep it in low medium flame and roast until it bubbles well and slightly becomes golden brown. The entire wheat mixture should be mixed well in ghee.

  4. Immediately transfer the cooked dal and add sugar to it. Stir frequently. As the mixture thickens, start adding ghee in batches, a tablespoon at a time.

  5. Keep stirring until the mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan and the whole mixture amass.

  6. It will take about 12 -15 minutes. Turn off the flame. To check if asoka halwa is done, rub it between your fingers and it should not be sticky.

  7. Finally add the powdered cardamom, cashews and food colour (mixed in water) mixture. Mix it well and switch off the flame.

Recipe Notes

  1. Dry roast the mung dal until you get a nice aroma. Do not fry it in ghee or any other fat. The flavor changes and while frying in ghee it is difficult to smell the aroma of the dal which decides how long you should roast the dal. 
  2. The final consistency of the halwa is very smooth. Hence it is necessary to cook the dal until it is mushy and grind the cooked dal to get that even texture.
  3. Be careful while blending the hot/warm mixture. It is advised to blend the dal while it is still warm to blend it evenly. 
  4. The ratio of the amount of ghee used - Well, I said in my intro that this sweet is not for the faint of heart. You can certainly reduce the amount of ghee but there is a minimum quantity that should be used to get the flavour.