Paruppu payasam recipe with step by step photos. This is a creamy and a delicious payasam made with yellow mung lentils, jaggery and coconut milk. You can even make this payasam as an offering to deities or for your family and friends.
Sharing one more sweet recipe for Ganesh Chaturthi. During festive occasions, payasam is one dish that is made in most households. What is payasam in south India, is called as kheer in North India. There are many recipes of kheer or payasams and this recipe in one such recipe. Payasams are also served in temples as prashad.
Not only I make Kheer, but I also make payasam on occasions. This moong dal payasam is a lovely dessert that can be made not only during festive occasions but also on special occasions or for guests. You can also make moong dal payasam as an offering to the deities or you can make it for your family.
I have kept the paruppu payasam recipe simple and easy for everyone to follow. If preparing for Ganesh Chaturthi or as an offering to Lord Ganesha or any diety, then use homemade coconut milk. You can check this method on How to make coconut milk.
If making for your family or guests, then you can use either homemade coconut milk or store brought coconut milk.
How to make Paruppu Payasam
1. Rinse ½ cup moong dal (pasi paruppu) in fresh water a couple of times. Take the moong dal and 1 cup of water in a small pan. Place this pan in a stovetop pressure cooker. Add 1.5 cups water in the pressure cooker.
Pressure cook moong dal for 5 to 6 whistles on medium heat or for 9 to 10 minutes. You can also cook the lentils directly in the cooker. In this case, you can add 1.5 cups water to the lentils and then pressure cook.
The lentils can be cooked in a pan or Instant pot also adding water as needed.
2. When the pressure settles down on its own, then only remove the lid and check the dal. The lentils should be cooked well. They should not be too pasty or lumpy.
3. Pour the entire contents of the small pan (cooked moong dal + water) in another pan or a kadai.
4. Mash the moong dal with a spoon.
Making pasi paruppu payasam
5. Add ½ cup thin coconut milk or water. Stir and mix well.
6. Add ¾ cup jaggery powder. For a less sweet taste, you can add ½ cup jaggery powder or grated jaggery.
If the jaggery you use has a lot of impurities, then heat the jaggery in ⅓ cup water on a low heat. Stir till the jaggery melts. Then filter and use this syrup.
7. Keep the pan or kadai on stove top and on a low flame heat this mixture.
8. Keep on stirring so that the jaggery dissolves.
9. Once all the jaggery dissolves, then add 1 cup of thick coconut milk.
10. Mix very well and just gently heat through for a minute or two. Switch off the heat and keep it aside. Do not over heat or boil as the coconut milk can curdle.
11. In a small pan or tadka pan, heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Add 12 to 15 cashews. Instead of coconut oil, you can also use ghee.
12. Fry till the cashews begin to get golden.
13. Once the cashews start becoming golden, add 1 tablespoon of raisins and ½ teaspoon of cardamom powder.
14. Fry the raisins till they become plump and swell.
15. Now pour the entire content of the tadka pan (coconut oil + cashews + raisins) in the payasam.
16. Mix very well.
17. Serve pasi paruppu payasam hot or warm. On cooling the paruppu payasam will thicken. Refrigerate the payasam as soon as it comes to room temperature.
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Paruppu Payasam
Ingredients
for cooking moong lentils
- ½ cup moong dal or 100 grams moong dal (pasi paruppu)
- 1 cup water to be added in the pan containing moong dal
- 1.5 cups water to be added in pressure cooker
other ingredients
- ½ cup thin coconut milk or second or third extract or water, add as required
- ¾ cup jaggery powder or grated jaggery
- 1 cup thick coconut milk or first extract, 250 ml
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder or seeds of 4 to 5 green cardamons, crushed in a mortar-pestle
- 12 to 15 cashews
- 1 tablespoons raisins
Instructions
cooking moong dal
- Rinse 1/2 cup moong dal a couple of times. Take the moong dal and 1 cup water in a small pan.
- Place this pan in a pressure cooker. Add 1.5 cups water in the pressure cooker. Pressure cook moong dal for 5 to 6 whistles on medium flame or for 9 to 10 minutes. You can also cook the lentils directly in the cooker. In this case, you can add 1.5 cups water to the lentils and then pressure cook.
- When the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid and check the dal. The lentils should be cooked well.
making paruppu payasam
- Pour the entire contents of the small pan (cooked moong dal + water) in another pan or a kadai.
- Mash the moong dal with a spoon.
- Add 1/2 cup thin coconut milk or water and mix well.
- Add 3/4 cup jaggery powder. For a less sweet taste, you can add 1/2 cup jaggery powder or grated jaggery.
- Keep the pan or kadai on stove top and on a low flame heat this mixture.
- Keep on stirring so that the jaggery dissolves.
- Once all the jaggery dissolves, then add 1 cup thick coconut milk.
- Mix very well and just gently heat through for a minute or two. Switch off the flame and keep aside. Do not over heat or boil as the coconut milk can curdle.
frying dry fruits
- In a small pan or tadka pan, heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil. Add 12 to 15 cashews.
- Fry till the cashews begin to get golden.
- Once the cashews start becoming golden, add 1 tablespoon raisins and and ½ teaspoon cardamom powder.
- Fry the raisins till they become plump and swell.
- Now pour the entire content of the tadka pan (coconut oil + cashews + raisins) in the payasam.
- Mix very well and serve pasi paruppu payasam hot or warm. Refrigerate the paruppu payasam as soon as it comes to room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Paruppu Payasam post from the archives, originally published in August 2016 has been updated and republished on January 2023.
1. If I want to use coconut milk powder, how much should I use n at what stage?
2. Also if I don’t want to use a pressure cooker then what changes do I do for cooking the dal?
When using coconut milk powder, it has to be used carefully. So first make a thick coconut milk with the powder. Soak the moong dal for 30 minutes in water. Drain the water and add it in a pan or pot. Add 1.5 cups water and cook the dal. You can cover if you are using a slightly larger pot or pan or else the dal froths when being covered and cooked. If the cooked dal consistency looks thin, then cook further till the consistency thickens a bit. Add jaggery and mix well. Note you can always adjust the consistency before adding coconut milk by adding some water or cooking the dal more. When the jaggery has dissolved, then switch off flame. Keep the pan on the kitchen countertop and wait for 3 to 4 minutes. Then add coconut milk and mix well.