Chana Dal Halwa

Directions

1. Soak the lentil in warm tap water for 3 to 4 hours; Drain.
2. Warm water and whole milk in a 4 to 5-quart saucepan. Add one tablespoon butter to the mixture.
3. Put lentils in the warm mixture, and let it boil on low heat until the lentils are completely cooked and soft. It will take around 2 to 3 hours, make sure there is some milky liquid left.
4. Once the lentils are cooked, use a hand blender to blend the lentils into a smooth textured paste.
5. Melt the remaining butter in a large non-stick saucepan on medium heat, when the butter is melted sprinkle crushed cardamom. As soon as you smell the aroma of cardamom pour the lentil paste in the melted butter.
6. Now comes the part which is a little tedious, what is required now is almost constant stirring so that it won’t burn on the bottom and cooks evenly.
7. The moment you notice the color changing from pale mustard to brown, mix in the sugar and stir.
8. When the mixture starts to gather in the middle of the pan that is a sign that it’s done.
9. Pour In a dish and press down with a wooden spoon.
10. Decorate with peeled and sliced almonds, dried coconut slices, and pistachios. I only used almonds.