Ugadi Special Payasam!

I remember as a child, we used to wait for some special festive occasion, just to eat payasam. One can relish it either with idli or holige (Mangalore delicacy) or you can simply enjoy it without any accompaniments. My mother prepares delicious payasam, whose recipe I would like to share with all of you on this festival of Ugadi.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup : moong dal

3/4th cup : jaggery (or as per your taste)

2 cups : thick coconut milk

2 cups : diluted coconut milk

1/2 tspn : elaichi crushed/powder

3 tbspns : dosa rice (soaked in water for 20 minutes and made into a paste)

2 tbspns : sabudana (soaked in water for 20 minutes)

3-4 cups : water

A pinch : salt

Cashew fried in ghee for garnish

Preparation of coconut milk:

Grate one medium sized coconut and extract thick coconut milk by adding a little water and run through in the mixer grinder. Strain the coconut milk and keep it aside. Add some more water to the coconut mixture left over after straining and blend in the mixer. Let it be of runny consistency and strain it once again. Keep the diluted coconut milk aside separately. Repeat this process.

Main Preparation:

Put the moong dal in a pressure cooker and add 2 cups of water. Cook until 2 whistles. Once it's cooled, remove the lid, add jaggery, diluted coconut milk, sabudaana and cook the mixture by adding a pinch of salt. When the jaggery starts to melt, add thick coconut milk, paste of soaked rice and stir it, till it boils. Make sure you keep on stirring or else the contents will stick to the bottom of the pan and get burnt. Once it begins to boil, add crushed elaichi and garnish it with fried cashew nuts. Yummy payasam is all ready to be savoured!