Dal Paysam (Parippu payasam)

Ingredients: -

• 1 cup (100 gm) Split green gram (moong dal)
• 100gm sago (sabudana) soaked for ½ hr
• 300gm jaggery (molasses)
• ½ coconut (big)
• 5 pods of cardamom, powdered
• 15-20 cashewnuts
• 10-12 curry leaves
• A few coconut pieces
• 1 tbsp raisins (Kismis)
• 1 tbsp ghee

Preparation Method:

1. Roast the split green gram till light brown and fragrant.
2. Wash the dal and soak for ½ hour
3. Add ½ cup water to jaggery, and place on low heat. When completely melted, pass through a sieve to remove impurities.
4. Scrape the coconut, add ¼ cup water, knead, squeeze and extract the milk. Pass it through a muslin cloth or fine sieve and keep aside (This is called 1st milk)
5. Now add ¾ cup water to the coconut, knead, squeeze and extract the milk, pass through a sieve and keep aside (2nd milk).
6. Fry curry leaves, cashew nuts and coconut pieces in ghee till light brown.
7. Pressure cook the dal for 10 min.
8. Add the cooked green gram to the jaggery syrup, and cook on low heat with stirring to prevent sticking.
9. Simultaneously, cook the sago on low heat with sufficient water, with continuous stirring.
10. Add cooked sago to gram jaggery mixture. (You know that sago is cooked when it looks translucent.)
11. Simmer for 2 minutes and then add the 2^nd milk and raisins.
12. Simmer for another 2 minutes and add the 1st milk.
13. Stir, add cashew nuts, curry leaves, coconut pieces and cardamom powder.
14. Serve hot with plantains.