Bengal Gram Dal Payasam/ Chana dal Kheer

in Desserts, Payasams, Sweets

 

Payasam or Kheer or Payas as they are called differently,in various parts of India is an age old cuisine, and is a  part of our rich heritage and culture.a delicious combination of milk, pulses, grains, ghee and sugar. Even though they are simple to make the outcome is finger licking.

Payasams are offered as an offering  to God and are a part of every auspicious occasion and festival.  The Indian sweets  were part of every celebration till cakes , chocolates and icecreams  invaded our households.

Here’s a simple recipe of Bengal gram dal payasam.

Recipe taken from Cook and see part 2.

Ingredients

Serves 4

  • Bengal gram dal 3/4 cup or  90 grams,
  • Milk ½ litre,
  • Sugar  1 cup ,
  • Cashew nuts 35 gms,
  • Cardamom ½ teaspoon,
  • Saffron few strands, dissolved in 2 tbsp of milk,
  • Pachai Karpooram (edible camphor) a pinch (optional),
  • Ghee 2 teaspoon,
  • Water half a litre.

Method

  1. Dry roast Bengal gram dal in a pan, for a few minutes and soak for half and hour, in one and half cups of water .
  2. Take the soaked dal and wash it again. Grind it to a smooth paste adding very little water(1/4 cup).
  3.  In a thick bottomed pan or Uruli or a Kadai,  heat ghee. Shallow fry cashewnuts to golden brown and keep aside .
  4. Add the paste to the same pan and half litre of water and boil well (5 minutes). Stir often while its boiling otherwise the paste will stick to the bottom.
  5. When the raw smell of the dal is gone, add sugar and milk, mix well.
  6. When the sugar dissolves , add cashew nuts, saffron (dissolved in milk) and pachai karpooram.
  7. Delicious payasam is ready. Can be served hot or cold.
  8. Powdered Jaggery or brown sugar can be used instead of plain white sugar.
  9. Bengal gram dal is high in fibre and is high source of energy and is low in fat. It’s a good source of calcium,too.

Note

  1. You can add one fourth cup of  almonds , which are soaked for an hour, peeled and made into paste , to the Bengal gram paste and continue to make payasam as above .
  2. However reduce the quantity of the Bengal gram dal to half.
  3. Inclusion of Almonds gives a nuttier , rich flavour to the payasam.