<< back to foods in Delhi

Moong dal halwa

What: Halwas, among India’s favorite ghee-based sweets, come in many shapes, flavors, and textures, the latter most simply broken down (in our minds) as hard or soft (see also: bedmi-aloo, nagori halwa). Moong dal halwa, made from ground and sweetened mung beans (a type of lentil) cooked in ghee, falls in the soft category, and though it hails from nearby Rajasthan, it’s super popular for dessert here in Delhi—especially in winter.

Where: Our moong dal halwa is from a trusty Haldiram’s (multiple locations including 45, Ring Rd., Lajpat Nagar-III, map) branch in South Delhi, which offers the dish year-round.

When: Daily, 10am-11pm

Order: Moong dal halwa (42 rupees), a great dessert after a bowl of chaat (say, raj kachori here). It’s quite delicious: sticky and sweet, grainy and a bit syrupy in texture, topped with slivered almonds and pistachio, and served warm. All we needed was a bowl of vanilla ice cream to eat it with. 

Alternatively: Try another sweetshop, like Bikanervala (multiple locations including 382, Kucha Gachi Ram, Fateh Puri, Chandni Chowk, map). Also in your travels about town, look for gagar ka halwa, made from grated and sweetened carrots, during the winter at traditional spots like the original Moti Mahal (3704, Netaji Subhash Marg, Daryaganj, map) in Old Delhi.