How To Make Ashoka Halwa - The South Indian Version Of Comforting Moong Dal Halwa

Whether you have a sweet tooth or not, one cannot deny a bite of a decadent Indian dessert on the table. Be it kheer, gulab jamun, ladoos or a comforting bowl of halwa, we would automatically inch towards serving ourselves a bite or two of the mouth-watering treat. Not just these popular Indian desserts, if you dig deeper you will find a lot many lesser-known sweet treats in the Indian cuisine. South Indian cuisine - known for a variety of desserts like payasam, Mysore pak, unni appam to many more - is brimming with unique treats that are sure to comfort your cravings.

Ashok halwa (or Asoka halwa) is a delicious dessert from Tamil Nadu that is made on special occasions. One can call it a south Indian version of moong dal halwa, but the difference is that moong dal halwa is crumbly and dry while ashoka halwa is more watery with a glossy, shiny look. Ashoka halwa is made primarily with moong dal, wheat flour and saffron food colour but you can always add dry fruits and nuts of your choice.

(Also Read: 15 Delicious Halwa Recipes)

_{Moong dal halwa is crumbly as compared to Asoka halwa.}

How To Make Ashoka Halwa

Making ashoka halwa is similar to making moong dal halwa, just that the texture of dal is extremely important since the south Indian version doesn't use any milk. All you need is pressure-cooked moong dal, mashed well until smooth and mixed with sugar, food colour and ghee over medium flame. You will also roast wheat flour, cardamom and nuts (if using) in ghee and combine it with the moong dal mixture in the end until a thick consistency. That is all!

Find the full recipe of Ashoka Halwa here.

Asoka halwa is a super easy and quick south Indian dessert recipe that is perfect to cook on festivities and special occasions. And also, when you run out of milk and your sweet tooth craves for moong dal halwa!

The goodness of moong dal cooked with crunchy nuts and cardamom is a treat to relish.

Try this yummy south Indian dessert at home and share your experience with us in the comments section below.