PACHAI PARUPPU/MOONG DHAL PAYASAM

The blizzard of 2010 is over. This was how all the news channels described the snowstorm. Our area recorded around 29 inches of snow. There was nothing to do since Friday except to watch news all day. Luckily we had our friend and her kid staying with for the weekend, so we had a good time staying at home. This is how our apartment complex looked after 26 inches of snow.


Coming on to this recipe, I made this for our wedding anniversary. January and February are special months for us since our birthdays and wedding anniversaries fall during these months. I prepared a variety of dishes ranging from cinnamon rolls (this was my first attempt) to the usual chocolate cake I make. The cinnamon rolls were the top sellers. I used white whole wheat flour and I used chopped walnuts and dry fruits for the filling. Then I used a honey butter glaze on top. It was rich and delicious yet a little bit on the healthier side. Here are some of the pictures of dishes I made for our birthdays. The lunch menu I made for my hubby’s birthday consists of egg briyani, gobi Manchurian, raita, and plain rice and rasam with chocolate cake.

Today I am posting the recipe for the payasam. This is very traditional dessert recipe and an easy one. I used the microwave to cook the dhal and I have used agave nectar instead of sugar. When preparing this payasam for kids, I would recommend going for the full fat and full sugar version with jaggery and desi ghee. I have also used a lot of nuts and dry fruits to make it richer. Nuts pack a powerful nutritional punch and a delicious way to increase your good cholesterol (HDL) levels and they are filling too. I used a darker version of agave nectar and the taste of agave nectar in this paysam was almost like the regular ones with jaggery.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Split moong dhal, 1 cup.
2. Agave nectar/brown sugar/any sugar substitute, 1 cup.
3. Cardamom pods, 2.
4. Ghee/butter 1 tablespoon (I have used Promise Activ Butter here).
5. Dry fruits, raisins, and mixed nuts like cashews, pistachio etc chopped, around ½ cup.
6. Whole milk or condensed milk, 1 cup.

PREPARATION:
Crush the cardamom pods coarsely. Wash the dhal well and transfer it to a microwave-safe dish. Add enough water to cover the dhal, add the cardamom powder, and microwave it on high for 15-20 minutes until the lentils are cooked and soft. Meanwhile, heat a small pan with the butter or ghee and fry the dry fruits and nuts until good aroma comes from the mixture. Pour this over the cooked dhal, add the sugar or sweetener, and milk. Mix everything well and microwave for 5 more minutes. Some water can be added for the desired consistency, add extra ghee if needed and enjoy hot or cold.