One of the biggest festivals of Kerala is here! Onam- the harvesting festival that indicates the end of the monsoons and commencement the time of the plenty. It’s the festival of 10 days, celebrated with the great rituals and merriment. It’s marked as the homecoming of the great Mahabali and in that all the Malayalees decorate their house with floral displays known as Pookkalams, wear new dresses and prepare the delicious feast, which is ultimate to taste!

Taking any festival of India, desserts play a very vital role to increase the level of enjoyment. In South India, it’s a custom that each dish served on a banana leaf and are eaten with the hands while sitting on the floor cross-legged. So, to celebrate this Onam festival, we are sharing the popular sweet recipe named as “Paruppu Payasam”, which is delectable as well as healthier, because it’s prepared with the Pasi Paruppu (moong dal).

Let’s start with the Paruppu Payasam Recipe:

Serves: 2 servings

Required Ingredients

• ¼ cup of Yellow Moong Dal (without skin)
• ¼ cup of Jaggery (grated)
• ½ cup of Milk
• ¼ tsp of Cardamom Powder (ilachi)
• 2 tsp of Ghee
• 6 Cashew Nuts (broken into halves)
• Water

Procedure

• Heat the 1 tsp of ghee in a pan and add cashew nuts.

• Fry them, till they turn light brown. Transfer them to a bowl or a plate.

• Now, heat remaining in the same pan and roast Moong Dal over a medium flame, until it gets light brown.

• Now, transfer roasted Moong dal in a pressure cooker and cook with a ¾ cup of water for 3 whistles on the medium flame.

• After that, keep the pressure cooker idle to release all the pressure.

• In between, dissolve jaggery in a ¼ cup of hot water.

• Strain it by using a strainer and remove any impurities if it has

• Now, open the lid of the pressure cooker and mash the Dal with the help of a spatula.

• Add jaggery syrup, milk and cardamom powder and cook on the medium flame.

• Stir the mixture well and bring it to a boil.

• When it comes to a boil, then reduce the flame to low and cook, till it gets the thicker consistency.

• Stir the mixture continuously to avoid the sticking and burning of the Dal.

• Finally, switch off the flame and take it out to a serving bowl and garnish with fried cashew nuts.

• Paruppu Payasam is ready, serve it hot or chilled.