How To Prepare Asoka Halwa
Asoka Halwa Overview
Asoka Halwa is a sweet dish from Thriuvaiyaru (Tanjore district - Tamil Nadu) known for its exquisite taste and vibrant look. It is similar to the North Indian Moong dhal halwa.
Asoka halwa is famous in the districts of Tanjore and Tiruchirappali and a popular sweet in any wedding or auspicious occasion in those districts. Asoka Halwa is the trademark of a little town named “Thiruvaiyaru” in Tanjore district. This town is famous for `Thiyagaraja utsavam` , a music festival` which happens once a year, where legendary singers and musicians all over the world participate and feel privileged and blessed in the THYGARAJA SAMADHI, the tomb of one of the three 'Sangeetha mumoorthigal'- Trinity of Carnatic Music of India.
Legends who participate in the 'Thyagaraja Aradana' just relish this Asoka Halwa along with the music, and they never forget to buy in kilograms when they return back to their places. Thus, Asoka Halwa is popular worldwide and recognised for its exclusive flavour and unmatchable aroma.
Moreover, people who come as a pilgrimage from different countries to visit the Aatkondar Temple, Thyagaraja Samadhi and Cauvery river, enjoy 'Asoka Halwa' and usually buy in bulk to gift for their friends and relatives. Normally, Asoka Halwa is served in a small banana leaf with a little portion of special mixture by its side along with a hot Thanjavur filter coffee. You can never get this sweet outside of Tanjore district and even if you get it in some parts of Tamil Nadu, the taste never matches the original Asoka Halwa of Thiruvaiyaru. Thus, till now 'Thiruvaiyaru' takes the pride of being the best in making this tangy dessert.
Let us try out the recipe of `Asoka Halwa` here.
Note for Asoka Halwa :
They do not use cashew nuts in the original recipe. So I have not added it below.
Ingredients Required For Asoka Halwa
Asoka Halwa Recipe - How To Prepare Asoka Halwa
To prepare Asoka halwa, place a heavy thick bottomed 'Kadai' (made of vengalam or cast iron) and switch on the stove and keep it in medium flame.
Add a cup of moong dhal in it and and dry roast it for a minute or two.
Once you get the flavour out of it, just switch off the stove and transfer it to a vessel.
Just ensure that it is not over roasted and the colour has not been changed.
Just wash the moong dhal once and drain it. Now, add 2 ½ cups of water in the vessel and keep it inside a pressure cooker and close it with the lid.
Now switch on the stove again and place the pressure cooker over it in high flame.
Let it cook for a few minutes.
After 5-8 minutes, you will see the steam coming out of it.
At this stage, put the `weight` on and let it cook up to 4 or 5 whistles as you want the consistency of the dhal to be too creamy.
Let it cool and after sometime open the pressure cooker and take the vessel out and mash the dhal with a masher (mathu preferably) while it is quite hot.
After mashing you will see that it has come to the creamy texture exactly. Just keep it aside.
To prepare Asoka halwa, place the 'Kadai' again in the stove and keep it in medium flame.
Once it is heated, add the mashed moong dhal to it and let it cook for some time.
After two three minutes add the measured quantity of sugar to it and keep stirring until it melts completely.
Now it will become watery. At this stage, add 2- 3 teaspoons of ghee slowly, while stirring continuously on the other hand. Simmer the flame now.
Add another 2-3 spoons of ghee and keep stirring. Repeat the process until the ghee gets over.
At this point, add a pinch of food colour (red) and stir nicely.
If it is `kesari powder`(common colouring agent in South Indian hoseholds) then add two pinches.
Finally, add the khoa to it to get a nice flavour and stir well.
Change the flame to medium mode and keep stirring.
Let it cook for 5-10 minutes approximately until you get a nice smell out of it.
You will start noticing the ghee oozing out of the sides of the kadai.
Let it cook till the `Ashoka Halwa` becomes glossy and absolutely non-sticky.
Take a few cardamom pieces and powder it in a blender. Just blend it into a fine powder and add it to the Ashoka halwa after removing the skin.
Take a small `kadai` or an `iluppai karandi`(a traditional south Indian cast iron ladle usually used for tempering) and heat it and pour a tablespoon of ghee in it.
Once it is heated, add some raisins to it and immediately it will pop up with a lovely noise.
Before it subsides, just add it to the Ashoka halwa prepared.
You can switch off the stove at this stage and now the Ashoka Halwa is ready to eat.
Serve it hot in a banana leaf or a sarugu (dried banana leaf) to get an authentic taste along with with the traditional 'special mixture', an exclusive south Indian savoury that goes well with this 'Asoka Halwa'.
It tastes awesome if you have a sip of filter coffee in between.
Tips To Follow For Asoka Halwa :
- Instead of pressure cooking you can also cook in a pot or a vessel. For example, you can use a 'vengala panai' to get an extraordinary creamy moog dhal, if you have extra time. But the taste you get at the final, is worth taking the time.
Always use a long and thick ladle to stir in order to avoid it from scorching.
If you do not like adding the food colour, you can better avoid it.
Let the stove be in medium or low flame thorough out the process so that the taste is retained properly.
Ingredients
Directions
To prepare Asoka halwa, place a heavy thick bottomed 'Kadai' (made of vengalam or cast iron) and switch on the stove and keep it in medium flame.
Add a cup of moong dhal in it and and dry roast it for a minute or two.
Once you get the flavour out of it, just switch off the stove and transfer it to a vessel.
Just ensure that it is not over roasted and the colour has not been changed.
Just wash the moong dhal once and drain it. Now, add 2 ½ cups of water in the vessel and keep it inside a pressure cooker and close it with the lid.
Now switch on the stove again and place the pressure cooker over it in high flame.
Let it cook for a few minutes.
After 5-8 minutes, you will see the steam coming out of it.
At this stage, put the `weight` on and let it cook up to 4 or 5 whistles as you want the consistency of the dhal to be too creamy.
Let it cool and after sometime open the pressure cooker and take the vessel out and mash the dhal with a masher (mathu preferably) while it is quite hot.
After mashing you will see that it has come to the creamy texture exactly. Just keep it aside.
To prepare Asoka halwa, place the 'Kadai' again in the stove and keep it in medium flame.
Once it is heated, add the mashed moong dhal to it and let it cook for some time.
After two three minutes add the measured quantity of sugar to it and keep stirring until it melts completely.
Now it will become watery. At this stage, add 2- 3 teaspoons of ghee slowly, while stirring continuously on the other hand. Simmer the flame now.
Add another 2-3 spoons of ghee and keep stirring. Repeat the process until the ghee gets over.
At this point, add a pinch of food colour (red) and stir nicely.
If it is `kesari powder`(common colouring agent in South Indian hoseholds) then add two pinches.
Finally, add the khoa to it to get a nice flavour and stir well.
Change the flame to medium mode and keep stirring.
Let it cook for 5-10 minutes approximately until you get a nice smell out of it.
You will start noticing the ghee oozing out of the sides of the kadai.
Let it cook till the `Ashoka Halwa` becomes glossy and absolutely non-sticky.
Take a few cardamom pieces and powder it in a blender. Just blend it into a fine powder and add it to the Ashoka halwa after removing the skin.
Take a small `kadai` or an `iluppai karandi`(a traditional south Indian cast iron ladle usually used for tempering) and heat it and pour a tablespoon of ghee in it.
Once it is heated, add some raisins to it and immediately it will pop up with a lovely noise.
Before it subsides, just add it to the Ashoka halwa prepared.
You can switch off the stove at this stage and now the Ashoka Halwa is ready to eat.
Serve it hot in a banana leaf or a sarugu (dried banana leaf) to get an authentic taste along with with the traditional 'special mixture', an exclusive south Indian savoury that goes well with this 'Asoka Halwa'.
It tastes awesome if you have a sip of filter coffee in between.