Moong Dal Payasam (Paruppu Payasam)

Moong Dal Payasam also known as Paruppu Payasam or Parippu Payasam is a traditional South Indian payasam variety made with yellow split and skinned moong lentils, jaggery, coconut milk, ghee and nuts. Paruppu Payasam is delicious, healthy, creamy, can be made vegan and is gluten-free. Make this crowd-pleaser for any occasion like festivals, parties or when the dessert-cravings kick in. This moong dal payasam is protein-packed, uses no refined sugar and easy to make.

In India you are likely to find, a zillion versions of Kheer and Payasam dishes. For the uninitiated, Kheer and Payasam are traditional Indian puddings mostly cooked with milk. They can be made with grains, flour, lentils, semolina and even with Semiya/Vermicelli.

These are the simplest dishes that can be made with little effort. The South Indian version of these puddings are known by the name “Payasam” and are mostly made with jaggery, an unrefined sugarcane sweetener.

Moong dal payasam is one such kind and you will find this most commonly in the Malayalam & Tamil speaking homes.

About Moong Dal Payasam

Paruppu Payasam is a Traditional South Indian Pudding where soft cooked moong lentils are simmered with coconut milk, sweetened with jaggery and flavoured with cardamoms. The dish is tempered with ghee in which nuts, raisins and sometimes chopped bits of coconut are fried.

Coconut milk is the star of this dish that provides a nutty flavor and creamy taste. However the dish can simply be made with dairy milk, if you do not coconut milk or it does not fit into your diet.

Here are a few tips & tricks that will help you make the best out of this recipe.

Pro Tips

• Roasting moong dal brings out an aroma. So do not skip that. You can roast it anytime ahead, cool down and store in a air tight jar at room temperature for about 1 month or in the refrigerator for 6 months.
• Use generous amount of ghee as it enhances the taste and aroma of the dish.
• We usually do not cook the dal to mushy texture. So cook it according to your taste. It has to be soft cooked but must still hold shape partially.
• If your jaggery is pure and has no impurities you may add it directly without making the jaggery syrup.
• You can also fry coconut slices in ghee until golden and garnish. Frying them at lower temperatures will harden them.
• Use fresh good quality coconut milk. If you do not have coconut milk, you can also replace it with regular milk but with caution.

Similar Recipes
Semiya Payasam
Javvarisi Payasam
Moong Dal Halwa

Photo Guide

How to Make Moong Dal Payasam (Stepwise Photos)

Preparation

1. Dry roast half cup moong dal until aromatic & golden. You can directly roast in pressure cooker or pot as well.

2. Pour water and rinse the lentils a few times. Pour 1½ cups water and a teaspoon ghee to the pot/ cooker. Pressure cook until soft, for 2 whistles on a medium flame. If you want to cook on stovetop, pour 2 cups water and bring to a rolling boil, reduce and let the lentils simmer until tender. You may skim off any froth that comes over the dal.

3. Skip this step if your jaggery is clean. If your jaggery is not clean, add the grated one to a bowl with 3 to 4 tbsps of water. Heat it until it melts & turns slightly thick. It should be still runny & of pouring consistency. Cool this if you are using normal milk and not coconut milk.

Make Paruppu Payasam

4. When the pressure releases, open the lid and check the dal. It should be cooked fully and turn soft. Mash it slightly.

5. Add ½ teaspoon cardamom powder, ¼ teaspoon ginger powder & ½ to ¾ cup thin coconut milk or milk and stir well. Cook on a low flame for a while or until it begins to bubble. Filter the cooled jaggery syrup (only if using coconut milk) & mix. Note: Here thin coconut milk is the second extract /pressed coconut milk. If using canned, mix 1/3 cup thick milk with water to make it 3/4 cup.

If using regular milk, turn off the stove first and then filter the cooled jaggery syrup. Your dish is ready, cool down and serve

6. If using coconut milk only – bring it to a gentle boil. Then pour 1/4 cup of first extract or thick coconut milk. You can also use canned coconut milk. Turn off the stove. If it is too thick pour some more coconut milk.

7. Heat 2 tablespoons ghee until medium hot. If using sliced coconut, add them and fry on a medium high flame until light and golden. Remove them to a small bowl. Add 10 cashews (20 split) and fry until light golden. Add 10 raisins and stir until plump. Turn off and pour to the moong dal payasam.

Serve Moong dal payasam when it cools down a bit.

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