Pesar pappu Payasam / Moong Dal Payasam / Sweetened Split Mung Bean with Jaggery

Happy Dasera to everyone! May Goddess Durga shower you with prosperity and strength to overcome all and any obstacles which come in your life.
Be happy always and enjoy lots!

This recipe is a little different from all the payasams which we encounter. It is also made with a variety of ingredients, that is with a mix of other dals. In my house, we make it only with Pesar pappu or Moong Daal.

I have also known people to add a bit of gasagasalu or white poppy seeds to this, which I didn't.
Making it with jaggery or belam, give this payasam and well defined taste which along with pesar pappu, tastes very good and yummy.

Its very easy to make and by pressure cooking it it can be made in very less time. But if you want to control how much soft the moong daal gets cooked to, it better to do it on stovetop, even tho it takes a little longer time! I prefer this method to pressure cooking it, so that there is some texture left in the payasam and it doesn't get totally soft!


Ingredients:

3/4 cup pesar pappu or split yellow moong bean / dal + 3 times the water to cook it to soft

1 1/4 cup jaggery or belam (more or less)

1/2 cup grated coconut (fresh or frozen can be used)

2 tbsp of cashew nuts + golden raisins

2 tbsp ghee or neyyi

about 1 cup of milk (more or less, depending on the consistency you prefer)

Pinch of elaichi or cardamom powder

pinch of kesar or Saffron strands or kesar food color



Method:

Cook the pesar pappu with the water in a pressure cooker until soft. This can also be done on the stovetop, but it will take little longer time. But by this way, you can control how soft they are cooked to.

After the moong daal gets cooked, add milk, mix well and let it come to a boil on a low flame.

Add the grated coconut and Jaggery and mix well.

In another small pan, heat the ghee and fry the cashews and raisins till golden in color.
Add this to the Payasam.

Add Elaichi powder.

If it gets too thick, add milk or water.

Add a pinch of saffron strands or kesar or food color.

Serve as Naivedhyam. Serve warm....Enjoy!!!