Think of Indian desserts and a heavenly, homemade halwa immediately comes to mind! One desi dessert that no one can ever resist is a crumbly bowl of ghee-laden halwa. A dense confection made from cooking milk and ghee along with the food grain of your choice, halwa is decadent sweet treat that is also very easy to cook. While it is a popular choice of dessert in India to prepare on special occasions, you will see people relishing this delicious treat just to satiate their midnight sweet cravings too. And not just in India, halwa is popular across various cultures and countries. Halwa is popular in the Middle East and central Asia, as well as in the Eastern Europe and parts of Africa, in different avatars.
While certain ingredients such as wheat flour, semolina, sugar and milk are common to prepare halwa, you can toss in anything along with it. From veggies to fruits, to grains, to cereals and to lentils, add anything and you'll have an amazing treat to relish in no time. Even though halwas by nature are rich and decadent due to the presence of dollops of fat-rich ghee, milk and sugar, you can make it a bit more nourishing by adding some seasonal veggies or lentils. With winters coming up, we are sure a bowl of piping hot halwa can be your best companion. But before you move forward to crown the undisputed king of winter sweet treats - gajar ka halwa - for the best pick, let us tell you about a lesser known but equally delicious version of halwa - chana dal halwa.
(Also Read: 15 Delicious Halwa Recipes To Treat Your Sweet Tooth! | Easy Halwa Recipes)
Chana dal halwa is a mouth-watering, quick and easy Indian dessert to try at home. The recipe has soaked and pressure-cooked chana dal sautéed in ghee and cooked along with saffron, sugar, cardamom powder, clove powder, almonds and cashew nuts. It is then served with a generous garnishing of nuts on top. It is a simple halwa recipe that you can cook on any occasion or even when untimely sugar cravings arrive.