Please watch my video on the preparation of an Indian dessert called Moong dal kheer or Moong dal payasam by visiting my YouTube channel by clicking on the link below.
Moong dal payasam is a thick and creamy textured south Indian traditional pudding or kheer where soft cooked moong dal lentils are simmered with coconut milk, sweetened with jaggery and flavoured with cardamoms. The dish is tempered with nuts and raisins roasted in ghee.
Moong dal kheer is low in calories and healthy. It is tasty and creamy in texture. It is also vegan and gluten free because while preparing this recipe, we are using coconut milk instead of dairy milk, which makes the kheer creamy, vegan and gluten free.
Apart from this the key ingredient, Moong dal / Yellow lentils used to prepare this kheer is naturally vegan and gluten free. It is high in fibre and protein and offers much more health benefits.
We are using jaggery instead of refined sugar to sweeten this kheer, which makes the kheer a healthy choice and low calorie sweet dish.
INGREDIENTS:
(1) 200 grams of Moong dal / Yellow lentils
(2) 150 grams of Jaggery (Gud)
(3) 200-250 ml of thick Coconut Milk extract
(4) Half teaspoon of Homemade Cardamom Powder (Hari Elaichi Powder)
(5) Cashews for tempering and garnishing. You may even add Raisins if you like, however, I have not added Raisins.
(6) Clarified butter (Ghee) for tempering the payasam.
(7) Water for cooking
METHOD:
(1) Place a kadhai / wok on the low to medium flame of the gas stove.
(2) Add 200 grams of moong dal into the kadhai / wok.
(3) We have to dry roast moong dal until it slightly changes in colour and is aromatic.
Keep stirring for dry roasting it.
In this dry roasting process, we don’t use ghee or oil for roasting the moong dal.
(4) After 5 minutes of dry roasting, we can see that the moong dal has turned golden brown in colour.
Here it is dry roasted.
Turn off the gas flame and allow them to cool down.
(5) Once cooled, put the dry roasted moong dal into the pressure cooker.
Then, add 3 cups of water with the same cup that was used to add the moong dal.
Mix well.
Add a teaspoon of ghee / clarified butter.
Cover the pressure cooker with its lid.
Cook until one whistle of the pressure cooker on a medium flame of the gas stove.
Check the cooked moong dal once the pressure of the pressure cooker is released.
It should be soft cooked, but not lost its shape. It shouldn’t be mushy.
Keep it aside.
(6) Place a kadhai / wok on the medium flame of the gas stove.
Add 150 grams of Jaggery or Gud.
Add 150 ml of water.
Mix well and allow the jaggery to dissolve in water.
Keep stirring continuously until this happens.
The jaggery has melted and dissolved in water and is of pouring consistency.
Turn off the gas stove and allow this to cool.
(7) Pour the soft cooked moong dal into the kadhai with melted jaggery.
Mix well.
Allow it to cool down.
(8) Once cooled, we will add thick coconut milk extract to this.
Adding coconut milk extract to cooled moong dal jaggery mixture prevents the coconut milk from curdling.
Add half a glass (125 ml) of thick coconut milk extract. Mix well.
I added another half glass (125 ml) of thick coconut milk extract. You may or may not add it. Mix well.
(9) Turn ON the gas flame. Allow the mixture or kheer to simmer.
(10) Add half a teaspoon of Homemade Cardamom Powder. Mix well.
Homemade Cardamom Powder gives better flavour and aroma to the kheer compared to store bought ones.
(11) Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir intermittently.
(12) The kheer has come to a boil, so turn off the gas stove.
Check the consistency. Do not keep the consistency too thick as the kheer has a tendency to thicken once cooled.
(13) Our Moong dal kheer or Moong dal payasam is ready. Now, we will prepare tempering for it.
Cover and keep aside to cool down.
(14) Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee / clarified butter in a tempering ladle on the low flame of the gas stove and allow it to melt.
(15) Add halves of cashews into the warm melted ghee and fry until golden brown.
Keep stirring while frying.
It is golden brown now.
Turn off the gas stove.
Add the tempering to the moong dal kheer.
Mix well.
(16) Transfer the kheer / payasam to a large serving bowl.
(17) Check the consistency of the kheer at room temperature or when it is lukewarm.
(18) You may serve it warm or chilled as per your preference.
(19) To serve chilled, refrigerate for an hour atleast before serving.
You may refrigerate the kheer and consume within three days.
(20) Serve the Moong dal kheer in small serving cups.
(21) Garnish with cashews roasted in ghee.
Enjoy the delicious kheer!!