Wishing you a Happy and Colorful Holi. In Armenia its impossible for me to find any gulal but anyway we celebrated in our own way. I invited some of our Indian friends & threw a party for them. We really missed the colours. A saffron tilak on the forehead was the only thing we did to our guests in the name of colors. But atleast I could make the traditional moong dal halwa (rajasthan special) which was enjoyed by everyone and I received many compliments. Its a real hard work but worth evry effort. Here's the recipe for traditional moong dal Halwa. Moong Dal Halwa (with khoya) cooking time: 1 hr 30 min shelf life: 15 days refridgirated 250g. moong dal (split green gram dal) 250g. khoya 250g. ghee 300g. sugar 25g cardamoms peeled & crushed blanched almonds and pistachios for garnish Soak moong dal for atleast two hrs. Drain and grind to a fine paste using as little water as possible. Mix together ghee & dal paste & cook on slow flame stirring continuously to avoid sticking to the pan. In the begining you will have to stir vigourously as its very sticky. You can add a little more ghee if difficult to handle. After some time it becomes easier as the water evaporates. you can increase the flame slightly to speed up the process at this stage. But if you can't handle then better to keep low heat. Keep on roasting (for about an hour or more) until the ghee oozes out & its light brown in colour. Grate the khoya and add it to the dal. roast for another 2 to 3 min. Allow to cool. By that time make a sugar syrup of two thread consistency. Dissolve sugar in equal quantity of water and heat. you can check the consistency by taking a drop of syrup in between your thumb & forefinger, press tightly and release you can see threads. when it reaches the desired consistency remove from fire and stir in one direction for about 3 to 5 min to cool slightly. Add cardamom to the syrup and then add the syrup to the dal mixture. Mix well. Ready to eat after 1 hr. Garnish with blanched nuts. ghar ki rasoi Tip: In case the halwa becomes too hard add a little milk and warm before serving. Moong dal Halwa (without khoya) 250g moong dal 250g. ghee 250g. sugar 25g. cardamoms peeled & crushed blanched almonds & pistachios for garnish Follow the same procedure as above to roast the dal. Dissolve sugar in 250 ml water. Bring to a few boils and add to the dal. Cook while stirring until the halwa thickens & leaves out ghee. Garnish with blanched nuts & cardamom.
