#28 : Pesarapappu Payasam ~ Moong Dal sweet

I spent two of my growing years in a small village in Kerala (the southernmost state of India).This sweet of Moong Lentils was a personal favorite. I have loved it so much that, when my grand mom came visiting us in kerala ( to assist my mom and to care for my new born brother), I requested her to learn this recipe from the local cook. Many years have passed since that day. My brother is a college student now and is 18 years old. Some times memories never fade. The smell of the first monsoon in Kerala , the excitement of seeing and playing with an elephant my neighbor owned, beautiful breeze, playing is rubber plantations, smell of spices growing in the backyard , the pepper tress, holding my brother for the first time and the taste of this payasam,everything still feels yesterday and is this close to my heart. 

I naturally picked up this payasam, when I started cooking a few years back. Though not authentically made by extracting many stages of coconut milk , this recipe still makes a very yummy payasam. Most times when I crave something sweet , I end up making this and my heart warms up with happiness :) This is definelty one of those no-fail recipes.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Moong Dhal / Split Mung beans
• 2 cups water
• 1 can Coconut Milk -400gm
• 3/4 to 1 cup Jaggery -Grated
• 7 Cardamom pods
• 10-12 Cashews
• 10-12 Raisins
• 1 Tbs Ghee

Method:

1. Dry roast moong dal for 5-7 min on medium heat
2. Pressure cook the dhal and water for 2 whistles. Let the steam escape naturally before opening the cooker 
3. In a heavy sauce pan bring the grated jaggery and 1/2 cup water to boil. Let it thicken for 5 mins
4. Add this jaggery syrup to the cooked dhal
5. Open and add the coconut milk to the dhal jaggery mixture. Bring this to a boil and add water if necessary. The payasam consistency at this stage should be loose and watery 
6. Remove the skin from the cardamom pods and pound to a fine powder . Add this to the payasam mixture
7. Turn down the heat to medium and simmer for 20mins. The payasam will thicken. Adjust the sweetness if needed by adding more jaggery
8. Heat the Ghee in a small skillet and fry the cashews and raisins until golden brown and add to the payasam . Remove from heat and set aside to slightly cool down
9. Serve warm :-)