Along with the fabulous Marwari gur ka halwa, another winter specialty is this rich Dal Badam ka Halwa. Made with almond paste and roasted yellow mung dal and a lot of ghee. It’s full of good, hearty things to keep warm through cold winters and satisfy your taste buds with rich, toasty, mellow sweetness.

It takes a little while to make this halwa but it’s worth the effort. Make a little extra and store in your fridge for a week or so and add a little milk to reheat and refresh.

Dal Badam Ka Halwa

Ingredients

250 gr Yellow Mung Dal (Soak for 5-6 hours and finely grind to a thick paste, adding water only if needed)
250 gr Ghee
250 ml Water for syrup
325 gr Sugar
125 gr Almonds, ground to a paste (Soak almonds over night and then peel and grind them)
150 gr Khoya
1 tsp Cardamom Powder
2 pinches of Saffron
1 tbs Slivered Almonds to garnish

Directions

Take half the ghee in a large pan or Kadahi and warm it. When slightly warm, add the dal paste to it and keep stirring it on a low flame. Continue cooking the paste till it turns a deep pink color. Add the remaining ghee gradually to this paste and continue stirring.
Add the grated khoya to it and continue stirring. Turn the heat off and keep this aside. In another pan, add sugar and water, stir and bring to a boil. Let the sugar dissolve. Add cardamom and safforn to this syrup and keep aside. In one pan, heat 2 tbsp ghee and add the almond paste. Stir continuously for a few minutes and then add the khoya mix. Add the sugar syrup to it and stir well till all the syrup is mixed into the halwa.

Sprinkle a few slivered almonds over the top when you serve.