Ashoka Halwa

Ashoka halwa is a South Indian version of moong dal halwa.. both have a different taste, but the base is moong dal.

In most of the tambrahm marriages, morning breakfast will have moong dal halwa. For so many years I had no clue what that is made of.. but relished that sweet so much. The name of the sweet says Ashoka.. so I had no idea what that is made of.  I never bothered to ask anyone.. all that I wanted was enjoy the sweet.

I grew up in perur, my house was near Vaideegal kalyana mandapam. Being in a big family, there will be always weddings and functions in that vaideegal mandapam. So I enjoyed so much eating all the special breakfast in the functions. How much I miss those weddings and functions being here in Chennai. In Chennai there will be rarely any functions and with my work, I hardly get time to attend any functions. I pity  my daughter for this, atleast I enjoyed during my childhood. These kids have no idea about that.

Recently saw Raji’s post in Raks kitchen.. I remembered those days and immediately gave a try.

My daughter enjoyed that too. She first thought it was kesari, but later I told her it is Ashoka halwa.

I also did a lil parcel for my appa.. he loved it too. He being a sweet master.. I was like waiting for him to taste and give feedback. When I saw the reaction after he ate it.. I was like flying high with joy.

Now let’s jump into the recipe.

Ingredients:

• Moong dal – ½ cup
• Water – 2 cups
• Sugar – 1 cup
• 
  
  ·         Orange Food color - a pinch
• Cashews - few
• Wheat flour – 2 tbsp
• Ghee – ¼ cup and little more
• Cardamom powder – ¼ tsp

Method :

Wash and cook moong dal with 4 times the water (1:4 dal – water ratio) for about 5 to 6 whistles till is cooked really well.

Mash it well with a ladle. It should be a smooth paste. Keep it aside.

In a thick bottom kadai, add a tbsp of ghee and golden fry the cashews. Transfer the fried cashews into plate and leave the ghee in the kadai.

Now add the Wheat flour and fry well in the ghee till it is nicely roasted. Don’t brown it too much. Collect that into another plate.

Now add the cooked moong dal, sugar, 1 tbsp of ghee in the kadai and keep stirring it in medium heat.

Keep stirring until you get a glassy consistency.. Keep adding a tbsp of ghee every 5 mins.

You will get the glassy consistency around 15 mins.

Add the fried cashews, wheat flour, a pinch of food color and 2 tbsp of ghee now.

Keep stirring again for 5 mins, now the ghee will start oozing out.

Switch off the stove.

It is yummy while served hot. If you are refrigerating, slightly heat and serve.