Heat a pressure cooker base and dry roast 1/2 cup of moong dal just for one minute in high flame without changing its color.

Add 3 cups of water, mix well and cook till mushy. I cooked in low flame for 3 whistles. Mash the dal really well. If not, grind to smooth paste without adding water.

In a good non-stick kadai, heat 1/4 cup of cooking oil (use odorless refined oil), roast cashews. When it starts to turn golden, reduce the flame completely and add wheat flour, maida. Mix well till it emits roasted aroma.

It looks like a paste. Then add Cooked moong dal paste to the roasted flour and mix in medium flame. Flour and dal should get mixed well. It thickens soon.

Now add sugar, food color and cardamom powder. Mix well in medium flame. Sugar melts and mixture becomes watery.

Increase the flame to medium high and mix till the mixture becomes slightly thick. Mix the remaining 1/4 cup of oil and 1/2 cup melted ghee. Add 1/2 tbsp ghee+oil. Mix well till ghee is absorbed. As soon as it is absorbed, add another 1/2 tbsp ghee+oil again.

At one stage, You will find halwa turning dark red in color, becoming glossy and leaves the pan completely. Keep adding the ghee at regular intervals. Adjust the flame whenever needed.

Stay nearby and keep adding ghee. It may not need all the 3/4 cup of ghee+oil. It may take 1 to 2 tbsp lesser too. As the final stage, halwa starts to rotate with the ladle. Touch the halwa and check if its non-sticky. As soon as it turns non-sticky, it starts to ooze ghee.

Keep mixing till more ghee comes out from all the sides and center. Switch off the flame now and transfer the halwa to a bowl. If you want, you can collect the excess ghee from the halwa and use it for regular cooking.

This halwa thickens as it cools down. So reheat it in a kadai or dosa tawa or microwave for a minute every time you serve. Whenever you heat the halwa, it becomes soft, glossy and releases more ghee. Hope you can see the difference between hot halwa and the cold ones from the main pictures (See 1st & 2nd pictures).