Paruppu/Moong Dhal Payasam | Tamil New Year Special

You would have got a yummy glimpse of this delicious authentic kheer here. While I love Paal Payasam, huss dear likes Paruppu Payasam. This was my first go at Paruppu payasam and to my surprise, it turned out to be so tasty and Mr A drained down nearly 3 cups in one sitting. I have never seen him having so much Payasam in one go.

Crush the jaggery into pieces and heat it with ½ glass of water. Once dissolved, strain it to remove impurities.
Dry roast the moong dhal till it starts turning light brown. (say 2 mins). Pressure cook this for 2 whistles. When done, mix it so that it should be lump free. You can add some water if you feel that dhal is so dry.
Add sago to water and heat it till the sago pearls cooks well or till each pearl turns glassy. This will take around 10 ? 15 mins. After 5 mins, stir the mixture occasionally as it will tend to stick to the pan
Once sago has cooked, add thin coconut milk and combine well.
When it starts to boil, add the moong dhal and heat for another 5 mins.
Then add the jaggery syrup and mix well. Check for sweetness and if required add some more jaggery syrup. Remember that we still have to add the thick coconut milk and hence make sure that the sweetness is slightly more than required.
Allow to boil.
Add the thick coconut milk and heat for 2-3 minutes and then switch off the flame.
Heat ghee in a kadai. Add the broken cashews and raisins and sauté till golden brown and raisins have puffed up.
Add this to the Payasam and give a stir.

Serve hot !!!