You can now make moong dal halwa, a rich and sweet Indian dessert, easily in an instant pot! I’m sharing my super quick shortcut method to making this decadent dessert!
Yes, I’m talking about the same dal halwa that traditionally takes ages to make on the stovetop. That same perfectly sweet, ghee-soaked halwa that always makes an appearance during festivals, weddings, special occasions.
Moong dal halwa is known for its labor-intensive process. Traditionally, you have to soak dal overnight and grind it and then stir, stir, stir the raw lentils until cooked. Nope. Not anymore. Thank you, next.
In true millennial fashion, I’ve found a lazier (smarter?) way to make this sweet dish. There’s NO grinding. NO stirring raw dal until cooked (but I mean, there is still some stirring involved because c’mon despite what I’ve said in the past, I’m not actually a wizard… maybe just a magician). 🧙🏾♀️
WHAT IS MOONG DAL HALWA? TELL ME ABOUT IT…
If you’re not familiar with this dessert, it’s made with these petite yellow lentils, called moong dal:
This dal, when combined with a bit of cardamom, some sugar and a lot of ghee, turns into… the most amazing halwa.
We’re going to pressure cook this dal! Like the little lentils – forget grinding them – you’ll still get that silky smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture. I was about to write the “same mouthfeel” but I had promised myself years ago that I’d never use that word. Sharing that with you just now doesn’t count…
LOOK AT HOW EASY IT IS TO MAKE THIS HALWA!
dry roast the halwa, add water and pressure cook!
add sugar and ghee and stir! that’s it!
So, I have to give my parents SO MUCH CREDIT for this recipe. Like, all the credit in the world.
I’ve been working on this recipe with my parents for months now. My mom is a genius in the kitchen (have you tried her meethe chawal yet?!) and they’ve tasted and tested this for me – with my dad offering his usual helpful feedback like “too much cardamom, not enough ghee, needs more cook time” lol – so really, you have them to thank for this perfectly easy and delicious halwa. Also, my dad is definitely the reason there is so much ghee in this recipe – according to him, “if you’re going to make halwa, it should be made right.” 😂 If you haven’t tried the carrot halwa that he helped me with, you must.
I know I talk about family a lot on the blog but honestly, it’s because of them (parents, in-laws, family friends) that this little blog of mine exists. After all, without them, I’d have no idea how to cook or what awesome food is supposed to taste like.
And I can say with absolute certainty that this dal halwa is awesome.
Okay, now I’m really excited for you to make this dal halwa. Tell me what you think – I’ll just be here waiting!
Instant Pot Moong Dal Halwa
Yield: 6 1x
Cuisine: Indian
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
This instant pot moong dal halwa is so much easier to make than the traditional stovetop version. With my recipe, you don’t have to grind the dal and there is far less stirring required. This is the easiest way to make this rich and decadent halwa!
Ingredients
- 1 cup moong dal
- 2 cups water
- ¾ cup ghee
- 1 cup sugar, adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- Crushed nuts (pistachios, almonds or cashews), garnish
Instructions
- Press sauté and add the (dry) moong dal to the pot. Dry roast (stir) the dal for 8-10 minutes until you see it darken a bit. It will change from pale yellow to slightly golden.
- Add water and stir, then secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 20 minutes at high pressure.
- Quick release pressure and immediately add ghee, sugar, cardamom to the pot and mix well. Don’t panic if when you see the dal, it looks a bit dry – it will quickly absorb the ghee.
- Once the dal absorbs the ghee, press the sauté button and stir continuously for 10 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot regularly. This will be a bit of an arm workout.
- Remove the steel liner from the instant pot (so the halwa doesn’t burn) and immediately scoop the halwa out into a serving bowl. When you pour it out, you’ll notice some ghee on the sides of the serving bowl – that means it separated a bit from the halwa and is perfect!
- Garnish with crushed nuts and serve warm.
Notes
- Update 10/22/19: I have heard from a few people who have said that they’ve felt a few bits of dal in their halwa. I’ve tried this recipe with a natural pressure release which may help those who have had this issue. I am adding this as a note rather than changing the original recipe as I’d hate to make waiting an extra 25 minutes for a NPR mandatory when the recipe has already worked well for so many of you.
Will you be posting any new recipes soon that aren’t for instant pot? I live in Europe and they are not available where I live, but I have enjoyed so many of your past (non-instant pot) recipes very much. Whenever I see a new recipe from you in my feed I’m excited but then I realize I can’t make them without the instant pot 🙁 Thanks!
Hi Stacy! Yes! I’ll be sharing lots of baked goods soon! Thank you for the feedback 🙂 Are there any kinds of dishes in particular you’d like to see? I recently shared pumpkin cookies and kofta curry a few weeks back – check them out if you haven’t yet!
Thank you Ashley! I will check those recipes out and keep my eyes open. I love all your recipes, so nothing in particular comes to mind. (And I will keep checking to see if we get Instant Pots here so I can make those recipes too!)
Hi Stacy, if you are an instant pot lover get it from Amazon. It is shipped from UK to Europe. I got mine in Germany from Amazon.de
Hi
I have a big doubt how will dal come to halwa consistency when we are not grinding.
Also i have tried this once using traditional recipe in insta pot. It stick to bottom super fast even in saute low mode.
Pls confirm
Thanks
Trust me 😉 All of my recipes are tested many times. Also, a few people in my IP group on facebook have already made it and have shared pics! This works and it works well!
Cant wait to try then.
I make this a lot of time.
Will b easy fr me
Thanks a lot
Just made the recipe. So easy to make and tasted awesome. Thanks for sharing before Diwali. Will make again on Diwali.
★★★★★
Sweta, I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you so much for letting me know how the halwa turned out for you!
Hi Ashley tried your gajar halwa yesterday and it came out awesome . Was planning to ask you for daal halwa and I find the recipe today . Thank you so much 😊
Suruchi, I’m so glad you liked the gajar halwa! Can’t wait to hear what you think of this recipe too! Let me know! 🙂
I tried this daal halwa recipe and turned out to be perfect. Love it. Thanks Ashley
★★★★★
So happy to hear that! 🙂
Hey Ashley, I’m going to try making this halwa tomorrow. I’m ezcited but tbh am nervous about using 3/4 cup ghee for this recipe. I know you said you’ve tried this recipe multiple times before perfecting it but is there any wiggle room for the amount of ghee to be used here?
I totally get that – you can definitely start with less and then just stir in more ghee (during step 4) to your preference! I think 3/4 cup is really what makes this taste legit, but let me know what you think if you end up using less ghee!
I would love to try this. My husband loves this halwa and I’ve never tried to make it because it needs a lot of stirring and work.
One question, is the sauteeing in step 4 done on low, medium or high heat?
Thanks.
Hi Radha! I always sauté on medium heat (default) unless I specify otherwise! That goes for all recipes on my blog 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think!
Looking forward to make this halwa. What size instapot you used to cook this as I find the timing differs big time . I have the 8qt …requires less time compared to 3 and 6 qt.
Hi Navi, all of my recipes are tested using a 6 quart instant pot but you can try asking in my FB group (instant pot for Indian food) to see if anyone has made it using an IP of another size.
Can I substitute honey instead of sugar? I loved your carrot halwa recipe too. I would like to to try this too. But I try to avoid sugar in my cooking. Thank you.
Hi Sajna, I haven’t tried it with honey so I’m not sure. I think jaggery or coconut sugar would be better options – is that something you’d be open to?
How good does this with with with coconut sugar? are the measures same? I am going to try this for Diwali..
Hi Meena, I haven’t made this with coconut sugar but I’m sure it’ll be amazing! I’d keep the amount the same 🙂 Let me know how it goes!
Thanks.. I am making this tomorrow and shall let you know. PS: Not sure what happened to my typing up there with ‘taste’ missing and ‘with’ 3 times.. sigh..
Ok.. I have made this. It looks extremely brown instead of golden brown. Probably because of the coconut sugar. Also since the dal is actually visible (though cooked), it looks more like sweet pongal than a halwa … it tastes divine though …
Hi Ashley!
I tried your recipe. It was really good in taste but daal wasn’t completely mushy. There were still whole daal grains in the last. What should I have done? Should I have cooked more to make it mushy? Let me know
Thanks
Hi Somya! There definitely shouldn’t have been any whole grains after a 20 min cook time – I’m wondering, could it be that the dal is old? The reason I ask is because sometimes dal that is old takes longer to cook… you can also try asking this question in my fb group to see if anyone there may have a different answer!
Hi Ashley
Even I tried your moving dal halwa recipe last night and same happened with me.. I can feel the raw dal and bites of dal we’re coming in mouth. My dal is fresh so don’t know what goes wrong .!!
Hi Prabhjot, oh man so the dal should definitely not be raw – I’m not sure why that would happen especially after a 20 minute cook time. Was the seal on properly? Or do you mean that the halwa was mostly cooked with a few raw lentils (either way there should not be any raw/crunchy lentils…). Please let me know – would love to help troubleshoot! I actually just made this again tonight and did a natural release – the halwa turned out the same for me but you may want to try that if you make it again!
I m so happy that I cm across this recipe. It turned out soo easy and equally delicious. I, shared the link with my family and frnds. Lukng frwrd to many more lovely recipes frm you. Thnks to U, I m in love with my InstantPot now 🙂
God Bless U !!
★★★★★
Renu, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how the halwa turned out for you and for sharing my blog with your family and friends!
Made the halwa yesterday and it was 100% success. Family loved it, was ready in no time while i cooked dinner on the side. Taste reminds me of the pooran of the pooran-poli 🙂 followed recipe to the t and no modifications needed, turned out great!
★★★★★
Twinkle, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you and your family 🙂
Hi
My first attempt to make moong dal sheera and the results was mouth watering and delicious. Followed the recipe and everything went smoothly. My family enjoyed it to the last lick. Thanks for sharing this and making this recipe so easy. Also shared it with my friends and family.
Maulika, that’s so awesome to hear! Thank you for letting me know how the halwa turned out for you and your family 🙂
Hi Ashley, can I double the quantity without any issues for a larger group? Thanks!
Hi Sima, I haven’t tried this but I don’t see why not! Just be sure to double all of the ingredients (including water of course) and keep the cook time the same. Let me know how it goes!
Sima, I just remembered, someone in my facebook group actually said they tripled it! So yes, I am sure doubling will be fine.
Hey Ashley, surprisingly it didnt come out as expected. It was more like a sweet mushy thick daal.. it didnt have the texture of the moong daal halwa. Please tell me what went wrong. How can I fix it.
Ashley, must be the slow release option that you posted yesterday.! Let me try with quick release and also try fix the previous one.
Hi Ashley
Thanks for the wonderful and easy recipe for the halwa.If I have to make this for around 20 people.. should I double or triple the quantity?
Hi Shruti, another reader mentioned that they tripled the recipe in my fb group, so it can be done and if it’s the only dessert you’ll have that’s what I’d do. If you are serving something else too then you can just double it.
I put 3/4 cup sugar instead of 1 cup and added 1/4 cup powdered milk.
It was so easy to make! My arm hurts now…. lol
Thank you for your recipes!
★★★★★
Punam, I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
Hi can I substitute melted butter for the ghee?
Ashley
I have never eaten Moong Halwa. In Kerala we make Parippu Paysam. Gave this a try using half cup moong. It was so simple, quick and yummy . Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Saritha, I’m so glad you liked this halwa so much – that’s so great to hear! Glad it worked well with half a cup! I have a parippu payasam recipe on my blog as well if you ever want to try!
Made this today and it’s AMAZING!!!!!!!! My mom asked me if I’m lying to her about this being homemade, haha!
Delicious and so easy and quick!
★★★★★
Nikki, that is amazing lol!! Best comment ever haha. So glad your mom was impressed!
Hi Ashley,
I am so glad I came by your website for such an easy recipes.
I have a question regarding instant pot. So I see all your recipe as you mentioned are made in 6 qt. size instant pot. I want to buy one for my big size family and decided to go with 8 qt. Can I use all recipe for 8 qt pot size.??Any other suggestion would be great too.
Thanks in advance.
MP, thank you! All of my recipes are tested using a 6 quart but I know a lot of folks in my facebook group use an 8 quart and make my recipes so I think it should be fine. You can try asking there if you’re wondering about a specific recipe to see if someone can chime in!
I like my desserts and I like them to be good, no compromises when you are inhaling a truckload of calories. This dessert was excellent! Will be making this one again and again. The sugar was just right, the ghee was a little much but then that is a Halwa for you. Thanks for this recipe. Loved it!
★★★★★
Anu, I’m so glad you loved this! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂 and lol, yes that’s halwa for you haha!
Your gajar and moong dal halwas are on point! A lot of Indian-American bloggers lose the authenticity of the dish, when they recreate it to a science in modern gadgets. I’m really glad you have critical taste testers in your parents since they bring the authentic taste of India and you make the tasty recipe accessible without losing the authenticity. Kudos on job well done! I’ve made these recipes to rave reviews.
★★★★★
Thank you so much for your comment, Archana! I really appreciate the kind words and will be sharing this with my parents 🙂
You have really eased out the traditional moong dal halwa recipe!
Thank you so much. Would love to try this soon.
Quick question- 3/4 cup melted ghee or solidified ghee?
Thank you! It’s for room temperature ghee 🙂 Hope you love this!
If you cut the recipe in half. Is the cooking time still 20 mins?
Thank you
For dessert lovers like me , this recipe is worth trying for 😍
You have made the traditional method modernized in an effective manner . You even kept the authenticity retained in the dish . Thankyou for such a good recipe , I’ll surely try it out .
Thank you! 🙂
I love your carrot halwa but unfortunately this one didn’t do it for me.
Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s an interesting approach, and I admire the experimentation and work you did to find this recipe, which is obviously much less labor intensive than the “traditional method”. I also think it is a decent dessert with a pretty pleasant taste (though I had to saute it for at least double the time listed in the recipe before it started tasting like a halwa rather than a mushy sweet dal).
That said, if someone is looking for the slightly chewy, fried texture of typical North Indian moong dal halwa (as I was), they will be disappointed with the texture of this halwa.
★★★
hey Ajit, ah, totally get it – appreciate you sharing feedback 🙂
Awesome recipe; thanks for sharing
★★★★★
I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
I made it today and it was amazing. I used 1/3rd cup brown sugar as that’s what I had. It was a good arm workout as you mentioned but it was worth the effort. Thank you Ashley.
Farida, I’m happy to hear that! And thanks for sharing how it turned out with brown sugar – that’ll be helpful to others who might be wondering!
Loved this! This hit the spot!
Instead of 3/4 cup ghee- I used a 1/4 cup ghee and 1/4 to 1/2 cup half and half..(added as I cooked it and watched the consistency) and I made it a little less sweet with 1/4 cup jaggary and 1/3 cup sugar… the recipe as printed would have been exactly like the perfect sweet and rich halwa.
★★★★★
Anisha, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you and for sharing those changes!
Reading the recipe was little skeptical at first. But it came out really great!! Thank you!
Stan, glad you gave it a shot and liked it 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you!
I used to avoid making this because of the effort and number of steps involved in the traditional method but this one was amazing and tasted perfect. Thank you for giving me a great instant pot recipe.
★★★★★
That’s awesome to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you liked this 🙂
I love this recipe. It’s the first time I ever made this halwa and I’m glad I found your recipe before I did. So many people have told me it’s a very tedious dish to make. So I thank you and your parents for the trial and errors before sharing this perfection. I put 3/4 cup sugar since most Indian dessert recipes are too sweet, but I feel that if I had put 1 cup as instructed it would have been perfect. It seems you and your parents have very similar pallets to ours. ☺️ Thank you again for sharing.
★★★★★
I meant palates. Me and auto-correct aren’t always in the same page. ☺️
I’m so glad you tried and liked this recipe 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how the dal halwa turned out for you!
Amazing! Thank you
★★★★★
I’m so glad you liked this! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Hello,
I made this recipe today, the taste was great, however, I dal after pressure cook did not have the mashy consistency( some of the grains were little tough- not uncooked though).. so for me i think instead of quick release, natural release would have worked better…
But just a quick question .. could this be because i roasted the dal a little more???
Came so bad in IP was not even closer to punjabi halwa
★
Aw man, I’m sorry to hear that you didn’t like the halwa. If you want to share a picture or get any ideas as to what might have gone wrong, feel free to share a picture in my FB group – I’m sure readers will be able to help!
Really interested in making this but unfortunately currently dairy free. Do you think it’s worth making using oil or better to wait until I can use ghee and make it?
Thank you 🙂
Hi Dotty, I would wait until you can use ghee. I haven’t tried using oil but don’t think it would be the same.
Hi, One of my favorite dishes, can’t wait to try. If I have to double the quantity, do I still pressure cook for the same time ?