Asoka Halwa is a very famous dessert in Tanjavur (especially in Thiruvaiyaru) and in rest of Tamil Nadu. This Halwa is also called Thiruvaiyaru Halwa. This is one of the sweet which will be served in most of the weddings in Tanjavur district during breakfasts. It's soft, glossy and delicious sweet. Though it looks similar to Moong Dal Halwa which is popular in North India, it's not the same, the preparation is different for Asoka Halwa.
How to make best tasting Asoka Halwa ?
- Use Non-Stick Pan or Heavy Bottomed Pan : to prevent the halwa from getting burnt at the bottom. You should be very careful and stir it continuously the Halwa otherwise the halwa get burnt and spoil your dish !
- Moong Dal : I would recommend to roast the moong dal as it lends nice aroma. Please make sure that you roast it in medium flame, as moong dal may quickly get burnt. The cooked moong dal should be mashed nicely. If we are not able to mash nicely, then we can grind it in a mixer to a thick paste without adding water
- Sugar Syrup : Consistency of the sugar syrup quickens the whole halwa process. We have to get a one-string consistency which speeds up the process. If we add wheat flour after melting the sugar, then we need to stir for more time to get the dal and flour to get incorporated well with the syrup.
- Ghee : Halwa usually requires good amount of Ghee. For this Halwa we would need almost equal to the quantity of the moong dal.
- Color of the Halwa: Usually the food color powder will be added to get a halwa in attractive color, but I didn't add it and i prefer not to add the artificial coloring. If you prefer coloring, then we can also mix the kesar powder or saffron threads in little milk and mix with the halwa to get lighter color rather than adding the color directly which will make the color very bright
- Serve Hot : When the Halwa cools down, the ghee gets frosted. So, heat a bit before serving
You can also try:
Recipe Card to make Asoka Halwa
Asoka Halwa | Thiruvaiyaru style Ashoka Halwa
Equipments Needed
- Pressure Cooker
- Heavy Bottomed Pan
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 300kcal
Asoka Halwa, also known as 'Thiruvaiyaru Halwa,' is a well-loved dessert originating from Thiruvaiyaru in the Tanjore District. It is crafted using a blend of Moong Dal and wheat flour. This delectable Halwa is a prominent feature at weddings throughout the Tanjore District and is renowned for its simplicity, making it an excellent choice for home preparation.
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup Moong dal 1 cup = 250 ml
- ¼ cup Wheat Flour
- ½ cup Ghee
- 1 cup Sugar
- 15 nos Cashews
- 1 teaspoon Cardamom Powder
- 1 pinch Orange Food Color
Instructions
Cooking the Moong Dal
- In a heavy-bottomed pan, place the moong dal and begin to roast it.
- Dry roast the moong dal until it takes on a light red hue. The reason for roasting the moong dal is to facilitate quicker and more efficient cooking with minimal water, while also enhancing its aroma.
- Transfer the roasted dal into a container and add enough water to soak the dals. Cook in a pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles.
- Once you can safely open the pressure cooker, take the dal and thoroughly mash it.
- (Optional) If the dal is not well-mashed in the previous step, use a blender or mixer to grind it into a thick paste. Place the cooked moong dal in the blender and process it without adding any additional water.
Let's start with the Preparation
- While the dal is being prepared, heat a kadai and add 1 tablespoon of ghee. Fry the cashews until they acquire a golden brown color. Transfer the fried cashews to a plate and set them aside.
- In the same pan, with the ghee used for frying the cashews, add the wheat flour and roast it until it attains a light brown color. There's no need to continue roasting until it turns red; the ghee used for frying the cashews will suffice for roasting the wheat flour. Transfer the roasted wheat flour to a plate and set it aside.
Making of Sugar Syrup
- Into the same pan, add sugar and pour in ½ cup of water.
- Continue stirring until the sugar dissolves completely and reaches a thin '1-string consistency.' You can check this by taking a drop of the sugar syrup and rubbing it between your fingers; it should form a string.
Let's start making the Halwa
- Now, add the roasted wheat flour and continue stirring.
- When the wheat flour mixture thickens in the sugar syrup, introduce the mashed moong dal and incorporate it evenly, ensuring there are no lumps. If the mixture becomes excessively thick, you can add a small amount of milk while stirring continuously.
- Continue stirring the halwa. If the mixture begins to stick to the pan, add more ghee and resume stirring. It's important to maintain continuous stirring over medium heat.
- Add cardamom powder and a pinch of orange food color. Adding food color is optional
- Add 1 or 2 tablespoon of ghee at regular intervals and keep stirring. Continue this process until the ghee starts to release from the halwa, and the halwa forms a cohesive ball without sticking to the sides of the pan.
- Add the fried cashews and mix them thoroughly into the halwa.
- At last, add the remaining ghee and turn off the heat
- The delicious Asoka Halwa is now ready to be served. You can store it in an airtight container, and when you're ready to serve, simply reheat the halwa to melt the ghee, and it's ready to be enjoyed.
Video
Notes
It's great to know about these additional tips and variations for making Asoka Halwa:
- Using Samba wheat flour can enhance the flavor compared to regular wheat flour, and it adds a unique taste to the halwa.
- All-purpose flour is an alternative, but wheat flour does contribute a distinctive flavor to the halwa.
- If the sugar is not entirely clean and contains impurities, adding a tablespoon of milk can help lift the dirt and make it easier to remove.
- Grating or chopping almonds (badams) and frying them in ghee before adding them to the halwa can provide a delightful nutty flavor and texture.
- If the mixture becomes very thick immediately after adding the mashed dal, you can introduce a small amount of milk and stir continuously to achieve the desired consistency.
Nutritional Info
Nutrition Facts
Asoka Halwa | Thiruvaiyaru style Ashoka Halwa
Amount Per Serving (113 g)
Calories 300
Calories from Fat 198
% Daily Value*
Fat 22g34%
Saturated Fat 13g81%
Trans Fat 22g
Cholesterol 55mg18%
Sodium 25mg1%
Carbohydrates 27g9%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 24g27%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 15IU0%
Vitamin C 60mg73%
Calcium 2mg0%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Method with step by step Pictures:
- Take a heavy bottomed pan, add the moong dal to fry it.
- Dry fry the moong dal till it turns light red in color. The reason we fry the moong dal is that, the dal will cook easiliy and quickly with little water. Also the aroma will be very good.
- Take the fried dal in a vessel and pour water till the dals are soaked and allow for 3-4 whistles in pressure cooker
- After we are able to open the pressure cooker, take the dal and smash it nicely.
- (Optional) If the dal is not mashed nicely in the previous step, then get it mashed to a thick paste using the blender/Mixer. Take the cooked moong dal in a blender and grind it to a thick paste without adding water.
- Meanwhile, heat the kadai and add 1 tablespoon of ghee and fry the cashews till they turn golden brown color. Take the fried cashews in a plate and keep it aside
- In the same pan use the ghee that we used for frying the cashews for frying the wheat flour. Add the wheat flour and fry it till it turns light brown color. We don't need to fry it too much till it turns red color. The ghee after frying the cashews is enough for frying the wheat flour. Take the fried wheat flour in a plate and keep it aside
- Now let's start making the sugar syrup. Add sugar to the pan and add water till the sugar is soaked (I poured ½ cup of water)
- Keep stirring till the sugar gets dissolved and we get a thin 1 string consistency. If you take a drop of sugar syrup and rub it between the fingers it should form like a string.
- Now add the fried wheat flour and keep stirring
- When the wheat flour mixture gets thicker in the sugar syrup, add the moong dal mashed paste and break the dough evenly without forming lumps. If the mixture gets very thick, then you can add little milk and stir continiously.
- Keep stirring the halwa. Whenever the mixture stick more on the pan, add ghee and start stirring again. We need to keep on stirring continuously in a medium flame though we feel pain in our hands :(. Atleast we need to stir for 30 minutes to make the halwa cook completely and becomes thicker
- Add ghee in regular intervals and keep stirring, till the ghee oozes out of halwa and the halwa rolls like a ball without sticking on the sides of pan. Add cashews and mix well
- Finally add the remaining ghee and switch off the flame.
- The delicious Asoka Halwa is ready to serve. We can store in a air tight container and whenever we need to serve, we can reheat the halwa to melt the ghee and then we can serve
