Pesara Pappu Payasam/Moong Dal Payasam

Moong dal payasam
Moong dal payasam is an amazing festive recipe. We can prepare the payasam very quickly. We can offer this payasam to God as naivedhyam on any festival day. This payasam is very much popular in South Indian homes with slight variations. Moong dal payasam is very tasty, healthy and nutritious. Here I present temptingly tasty and divine moong dal payasam to offer as Prasadam to God during Vinayaka Chaturthi. Njoy Cooking,Serving n Savoring!
Ingredients:
Moong dal: 1 cup
Chana dal: 1 tbsp
Jaggery: 1 1/2 cups
Milk: 3 cups(Adjust the quantity of milk according to the desired consistency)
Cardamom pods: 7/8 nos.
Water: as required to make jaggery syrup and to cook dal too
Fresh Coconut pieces: few(Optional)
Dry fruits: few
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Saffron strands: 3/4 nos. for garnishing.
 
Method of preparation:
1. Take 1 cup of moong dal in a small pressure cooker. Dry roast the moong dal for 5 minutes till raw smell goes away. Now add 1 tbsp of chana dal.
2. Add 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles on low flame.
3. Meanwhile take a small vessel put jaggery and one cup of water.
4. Allow the jaggery water to boil.
5. Take 7 cardamom pods in a mortar pestle.
6. Crush them into coarse powder in the mortar pestle. Instead you can also  pulse them in mixer grinder.
7. Now add the crushed cardamom powder into the boiling jaggery water.
8. Boil the jaggery water to get thin jaggery syrup. Strain the syrup if any impurities are present.
9. If fresh coconut is readily available at home, take small bit of fresh coconut and chop them into tiny pieces.
10. Once the pressure settles down remove the lid of the pressure cooker.
11. Mix thoroughly with a ladle and pour milk.
12. Cook for 5 minutes after adding milk so that the milk mixes well with cooked dals.
13. Switch off the flame and add jaggery syrup. Mix thoroughly.
14. In a mortar pestle slightly crush cashews, almonds and pistachios.
15. Now take a small Kadai put 1 tbsp of ghee, fry cashews almonds and pistachios. Fry raisins too.
16. Fry chopped fresh coconut pieces.
17. Add the fried dry fruits to the payasam.
18. Mix well and transfer the moong dal payasam into a serving bowl. Garnish the payasam with saffron strands.
19. Now the delicious sweet moong dal payasam is ready to serve hot.
Tips:
1. Here in this recipe I’ve added 1 tbsp of chana dal. Usually for any good occasions or festivals we just add few chana dal instead of plain moong dal. Adding of chana dal also gives nice taste,crunchiness  and flavour to the payasam.
2. For cooking moong dal I’ve used water first and then added milk. Instead of cooking with water in pressure cooker, directly you can cook with milk in a heavy bottomed vessel.
3. I’ve prepared thin jaggery syrup which is strained and then added to the payasam. Making jaggery syrup enhances the taste of the payasam. If using organic jaggery directly you can add the jaggery powder to the payasam.