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Chana daal halwa in a bowl on top of a silver plate.
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5 from 2 votes

Chana Daal Halwa | Chanay ki Daal Halwa

Chana Daal Halwa or Chanay ki Daal Halwa isa traditional Pakistani / Indian dessert made from a type of lentil known as chanadaal. The daal is slow roasted with ghee, cream, sugar and cardamom till itturns into a rich and creamy dessert.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 15 minutes
Soaking Time8 hours
Total Time10 hours 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani
Servings: 15 people
Calories: 502kcal
Author: Kiran

Equipment

  • Immersion Blender or Hand Blender

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups chana daal also known as or split bengal gram or split chickpeas
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 300 ml cream
  • 1 ½ cups + 1 tablespoon ghee clarified butter
  • 6 cardamom pods
  • 1 ½ - 2 cups sugar
  • ½ cup sliced almonds plus more for garnish
  • ¼ cup sliced pistachios plus more for garnish

Instructions

  • Soak the chana daal (split bengal gram) overnight or at least 6 - 8 hours).
  • Drain the soaking liquid, and place the chana daal in a pot. Add water and milk, and bring the daal to a boil. Make sure the chana daal is completely submerged, and if not, add more water.
  • Turn the heat to low, and cook the chana daal till it is tender. This process can take anywhere from 45 minutes - 1 hour.
  • Turn off the heat, and let the chana daal for a few minutes. Add cream to the cooked chana daal and give a quick stir.
  • Use a hand blender / immersion blender to blend the chana daal into a thick and creamy paste. The paste will be light biege in colour. Chana daal can be difficult to blend, so if necessary add a splash of milk. Make sure the daal is blended properly else you will feel a bit of graininess in the final halwa. Set aside the blended daal mixture.
  • Crush the cardamom seeds in a mortar & pestle - this step releases the flavour and aroma of the cardamom seeds.
  • Heat ghee / clarified butter in a heavy bottomed pan - this can either be stainless steel, anodized aluminium or even non-stick.
  • Add the crushed cardamom seeds and cook for about a minute. Then add the blended daal mixture.
  • Turn the heat to low - medium and stir the daal mixture vigorously. In the beginning it will look as if the ghee isn’t absorbed, but as you keep stirring the ghee will be absorbed and the halwa will come together. As it cooks, the halwa will change colour from cream/beige in colour to a light golden brown to a caramel-ish golden brown.
  • It’s important to keep stirring the halwa on a regular basis especially after it turns light brown, otherwise it can burn. This process does require quite a bit of muscle work as well as constant standing on the stove.
    If you have other tasks to do, best to turn heat to low or put a tawa / frying pan below the pot to protect the halwa. This will increase the total cooking time, but reduces the frequency of stirring and minimises the risk of burning.
  • Once the halwa turns light golden brown in colour, add the sugar. As you add the sugar, the halwa will thicken initially, but after a few minutes the sugar will melt and the halwa will become easy to handle. Cook for about 10 - 15 minutes making sure to stir regularly. Once the sugar is added, the halwa is prone to burning so be careful.
  • At this point, taste the halwa and see if you need to adjust the sugar. I start off with adding 1 ½ cups of sugar, and then add a few more tablespoons if needed. In case the halwa looks too dry, add a splash of milk or cream.
  • In a separate small frying pan, heat a tablespoon of ghee and then add the almonds & pistachios. Toast for about a minute, and then stir them into the halwa, reserving a few for garnish on the top.
  • Garnish with remaining pistachios and almonds, and serve hot or cold. I prefer warming the halwa till it becomes soft and then serving.

Notes

  1. The chana dal mixture needs to be properly blended otherwise there will be a hint of graininess in the final halwa. Add a splash of milk or water if the mixture is difficult to blend.
  2. Use finely granulated sugar (or caster sugar) as it dissolves easily. Pulse regular sugar in a coffee mill or spice grinder 1 - 2 times to make sure it’s fine enough. 
  3. Use a stainless-steel pan to make the halwa. Preferably one that is wide and shallow. This will help the chana daal from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burn.  It is also possible to use a non-stick pot or pan.
  4. Keep an eye on the halwa and stir regularly. The halwa can burn if you don’t stir frequently. If you are doing other things on the side, and are worried about the halwa burning, cook the halwa on low heat. In case your lowest heat level is on the high side, put a tawa below your pot that will reduce direct heat to the pot. This will increase the total cook time but will reduce the risk of burning.

Nutrition

Calories: 502kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 317IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1mg
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