Moong Dal Payasam / Kheer

(Cherupayar payasam)

Everyone who has had this payasam at my place just LOVED it!.

In my younger days when mum made this I never liked it as I hated anything made out of jaggery. I never tasted this payasam and on my Birthday I could choose and my Mum made special Pal / Milk payasam for me & I was happy!......

When I started making this payasam I found it very tasty and when I would tell my Mum how good it turned out to be she would ask me surprised if I had tried it. I love this payasam now and anything made out of Jaggery!!!..... and my explaination to all this is perhaps that I got some attention those days when she made special pal payasam for Papa (Papa is my pet name)

Now, everytime I make this payasam I am asked for its recipe and often I have told the guestsin a nut shell  how to make it.

Here is an easy way to make this delicious payasam which I am sure you will all try .....



Ingredients:
1 cup Moong dal
1 cup jaggery syrup( I use palm sugar syrup)
200 ml of coconut milk (I use Kara product)
400 mll water
1 tab. sp.Ghee
Handful halved raw cashewnut
A handful of raisins
4 cloves
Cardamom powder
1 tsp. dry ginger powder(chukku)
Pinch of Salt

This will serve 10 to 12

Method:
Using a heavy pan heat the Ghee and fry the Moongdal om a medium flame until they are all coated in Ghee and half the Moongdal turned dark brown(do not burn)You need to keep stirring as we do not want the entire Moongdal brown.

Then cook or pressure cook* this in water , cloves & salt for about 15 minutes or until they are 3/4 done.

Using a ladel mash half of the contents& stir the entire cooked moongdal well & add the jaggery syrup & the ginger powder & allow to simmer.

Then add the coconut milk give it a good stir and simmer for another 5 minutes. If the payasam / kheer is too thick add some milk or water to dilute.

Garnish with Cashewnuts & raisins &fresh coconut pieces fried in ghee. This garnish is what makes the payasam a big hit!




Garnish for payasam:
Heat another tab. sp of Ghee & fry the coconut pieces until they are almost dark brown but not burnt.

Then add the cashew nut and the raisins. Allow the cashewnuts to brown and the raisins to puff up.

Add this to the payasam & give it a stir.

Finally add the ground Cardamon powder & serve warm.


Enjoy!


Tips:
After you have fried the Moongdal I have seen my mum wash it in water. I have never done this.

I use palm sugar /Gula java available at the chineese or Indonesian stores.Mind you this is tastier than our Jaggery.

If I remember, asa kid when I travelled by train some place near Vadagara in Kerala we could get Ari chakkara / rice jaggery to buy.

This Ari Chakkara tasted very much like the Palm Sugar / Gula Java.

This payasam is at its best when served hot on a banana leaf!!!! the aroma of the leaf adds more flavor to this great payasam....