Pasiparuppu Payasam : a Sweet Dish Made From Split Green-gram Lentils

"Pasiparuppu Payasam", popularly known in Tamil language in South India is a sweet dish made from split green-gram lentils with country made jaggery. Pasiparuppu means split green-gram and payasam means semi-liquid sweet dish. This is a very nutritious dish made often at our home and served as desert.

Step 1: Ingredients

The quantities of ingredients mentioned here will serve about 7 to 8 people.

• Split green-gram lentils : about 200 grams
• Country made jaggery : 200 grams
• Coconut : one piece
• Cardamom (whole) : about 4 to 5 pieces
• Cashew Nuts : about 25 grams
• Raisins : About 25 grams
• Salt : to taste
• Water : about one liter
• About half a teaspoon of Ghee (clarified butter)

Step 2: Boil Green-gram Lentils

• Wash the lentils in water about 3 to 4 times till water runs clean
• Boil about half a liter of water in a vessel and add the lentils.
• While cooking the lentils, it may froth. Remove the froth using a ladle and discard

Step 3: Grinding Coconut

• Crack open the coconut and remove the coconut meat
• Add it to a mixer grinder and grind without adding any water
• You can add the cardamom to the coconut and grind for a few seconds

Step 4: Extract Coconut Milk

• Add about 250 ml of water and grind for about 30 seconds
• Filter out the coconut milk using a clean cloth
• Add the remains once again to mixer grinder, add 250 ml of water and grind for another 30 seconds
• Filter out the milk once more.
• You can do this two to three times to extract the milk, but for more taste, I have extracted twice only.
• Now add the coconut milk to the half-cooked lentils in the vessel

Step 5: Add Jaggery

• Break the country-made jaggery into pieces
• Weigh about 200 grams and add to the mix in the vessel. The quantity of jaggery I have added is equal to the weight of lentils taken. This gives a balanced sweetness to the dish. You can adjust the quantity as per your own taste.
• If you do not have country-made jaggery, you can use normal white sugar also.

Step 6: Add Raisins

• In a small frying pan, add about half a teaspoon of Ghee and heat over low flame
• Add the raisins to the ghee and fry for a few seconds
• Add the fried raisins to the mix in the vessel

Step 7: Add Cashew Nuts

• Break the cashew nuts into small pieces
• Roast the broken cashew nut pieces in the same frying pan. No need to add more ghee as whatever remains in the pan will be sufficient
• Add the roasted cashew nuts to the dish in the vessel

Step 8: Serve As Desert

• Mix all the ingredients together with a ladle
• Add little amount of salt.
• Check to see whether the lentils are properly cooked. If the lentils are not cooked and the dish seems to be very thick, add small amount of hot water and keep over low flame till lentils are cooked

Now our Pasiparuppu Payasam is ready. Transfer the Payasam to another vessel and serve hot.