Moong dal payasam or Paruppu payasam is such an amazing Indian Indian dessert. Especially, as a part of a festival preparation, almost every South Indian home will have their version of Payasam.
Paruppu Payasam is a dessert made by combining a delicious mix of split moong dal & Coconut milk. I guess as a south Indian myself I will automatically favour anything with coconut.
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Having the good fortune of being born and brought up in Mumbai. Growing up around a largely cosmopolitan neighbourhood belonging to a potpourri of Indian communities.
I grew up tasting and learning so many different kinds of traditional food, celebrating different festivals from my neighbours.
Every year during Onam, a harvest festival celebrated in Kerela, It is quite a huge fest, in Kerela. And every Malayalee home cooks a spread of 22- 26 dishes in one awesome meal served on a banana leaf traditionally.
I remember waiting to be invited for the Onam Sadhya meal by my neighbour aunty (Mrs Menon) and the payasam was always a highlight of this meal.
Now I wait for my Sis-in-law Nisha’s mum (They are Malayalees) to invite us for this wonderful experience of Sadya.
I recommend everyone should experience the Sadya meal at least once it is such a wholesome meal comprising of a wide variety of vegetables. 
This entire week we celebrate Onam and this time my Sister in law Nisha very kindly offered to teach us how to make Moong dal Payasam or Parappu Payasam delicious dessert. I guarantee you can’t just stop with one bowl.
I have inserted a youtube link demonstrating the recipe
https://youtu.be/mlZ0N4ddaJU
Moong dal (Paruppu) Payasam Recipe
| INGREDIENTS |
QUANTITY |
| Split Moong dal | 1 cup |
| Jaggery ( I like using powdered jaggery but you can use a lump of jaggery) | 3/4th cup |
| Coconut | 1 whole |
| Coconut slices | 50 -75 gms |
| Ghee | 2 tablespoons |
| Almond/ Cashews | 50 gms |
| Cumin Seeds | 1 teaspoon |
| Cardamom Pods | 3-4 |
| Ginger Powder | 1 Teaspoon |
Method
- Wash and soak Moong dal
- Grate fresh coconut and extract the thick and the thin juice
- If you find it convinient you may use the ready made coconut milk powder but we at home prefer extracting fresh milk.
- Heat a pan and roast the cardamom pods and cumin seeds and pound them fine.
- Heat one table spoon of ghee in a degchi add the strained moong dal .
- Stir for a while. At this point add the thin coconut milk to the moong dal and cook the dal .
- Make sure you dont cook the dal until very mushy there should be some texture in the payasam.
- Add the jaggery powder , cumin and cardamom powder and stir.
- Add the thick coconut milk make sure you keep the flame on simmer. We do not want to boil the coconut milk.
- Now add the remaining ghee in a tawa and fry the nuts, raisins and sliced coconut until golden brown add this to your payasam.
- Lastly you may sprikle some ginger powder.
- Hope you enjoyed the recipe.
Happy Onam
