Semiya Cherupayar parippu paysam ( Vermicilli with yellow samll lentils sweet )

Sweets used to be my grandmas weakness at the age of 96 also she never used to miss her chocolates after lunch. So thought of uploading a sweet which wasn’t usually prepared as kids we used to only love white color paysams i.e. paysams prepared with milk and sugar .Sweetened lentils are the star of this simple sweet dish! This moong dal payasam is made with small yellow lentils, jaggery, cardamom and coconut milk! This Kerala style moong dal payasam is sweet, creamy and absolutely delicious! Moong dal payasam is basically the south Indian version of kheer but instead of rice we’re using small yellow lentils and instead of milk, we’re using coconut milk! And sugar replaced by jaggery

Sweetened lentils are the star of this simple dessert. Traditionally in temples where deity is Devi i.e. female deity. Lentils play a vital role it’s an offering daily to deity. It would be thicken version of this kheer.  There, they use fresh coconut milk of course, but for simplicity’s sake. In Kerala weddings too it’s a one of the important paysam with rest 2or 3 paysams.  If you’ve ever had kheer before, then you’ll find that this is a similar dessert.

Here in this recipe I have added ghee roasted semiya for a twist . I love the semiya which we get in Arab countries that are very sling and cooks very fast. It tastes really good.

INGREDIENTS

•  ½ cup small  yellow lentils (moong dal)
• 1 tablespoon ghee
• ¼ cup of semiya
• ¼ cup cashews
• ¼ cup coconut slices (Coconut normally used are the dried ones)
• 1 ¼ cups water
• 1 cup of full-fat coconut milk (first milk extracted from 1 coconut
• 2cups of coconut milk (second extract of coconut)
• 1 cup jaggery  jaggery melted, adjust to taste!
• ½ ground cardamom teaspoon 

Method

Heat a kadai. Add the small yellow lentils (moong dal). Dry roast the dal for 2-3 minutes, or until it turns golden and gives off a slightly nutty aroma. Remove the lentils and rinse them under cold water.

In the same kadai  Add ghee . Once it melts, add the cashews and coconut pieces. Stir-fry until golden. Remove and set aside. Also roast semiya and keep aside

Add the rinsed lentils back into the pressure cooker along with 1 ¼ cups water. In high flame cook till 3 or 4 whistle. I love the bites of lentils in paysam so I don’t like the lentils to be fully mashup .

In a big vessel like uruli in kerala  add the jaggery , cooked lentils and cardamom and mix well. Once it starts boiling add semiya with 2cups of second extract of  coconut milk and stir until well combined. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until it thickens a bit. When it comes to right consistency switch off the flame . Add the first extract of coconut milk.

Serve warm or cold and garnish with the ghee coated cashews and coconut.