Moong Dal Payasa/ Kheer (Split mung pudding)

Moong Dal Payasa

Another favorite from the family Mangalorean recipe box-the moong dal payasa is made for special occasions and festival feasts. Since I've been on a mission to try out (and publish on this blog) traditional Mangalorean recipes, this was undoubtedly the first thing that came to my mind as the sweet dish for this years Ganesh Chaturthi feast at home. 

Ingredients:

• Moong Dal: 1 cup
• Jaggery: 1 1/2 cups (you could substitute with sugar,but jaggery gives the actual traditional taste)
• Milk: 1 cup
• Water:1 cup
• Coconut milk: 1 cup
• Salt:1/4th tsp
• Saffron/Cardamom powder: a pinch (soak saffron in a little warm milk)
• Cashews, raisins: a few(fried in a little ghee)
• Ghee: 3tsp

Method:

1. Roast the moong dal in a teaspoon of ghee till you get a pleasant aroma (do not let it brown).
2. Add the milk and the water and bring it to a boil. Then simmer till the moong dal is well cooked, stirring occasionally.
3. Once the dal is cooked add the jaggery, the saffron milk/ cardamom powder.
4. Add the coconut milk and stir for a minute. Switch off.
5. Serve moong dal payasa/kheer hot or a little warm garnished with the fried cahews, raisins and the remaining ghee.

NOTE: Do not add the jaggery/sugar at the beginning or else the dal will not cook (I learnt this the hard way the first time I made this!)

 Moong dal payasa, mung dal and jaggery