Moongdal Payasam | Healthy Moongdal Kheer

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Festive season has started and what a better way to indulge in a healthy protein-rich dessert!

Today’s recipe is moong dal payasam also known as moong dal kheer made with yellow mung lentils, jaggery, coconut milk and nuts.

A beginner-friendly, vegetarian recipe for this festive occasion.

yellow moong dal payasam vegetarian Indian dessert glutenfree protein rich festive occassions

Payasam is a traditional South Indian dessert recipe.

This is a delicious and creamy dessert that we make often during Navratri, Diwali & Dasara.

Payasam means pudding also know as kheer in northern India.

Moong dal payasam is a sweet, creamy, luscious, thick and delicious dessert made from yellow moong dal also known as split and skinned green gram along with coconut milk, jaggery and cardamom powder and roasted nuts and raisins.

This is an easy, tasty, and delectable Indian dessert that is served during festivals and special occasions such as Navratri, Dasara Diwali, Holi, weddings,thread-ceremony, parties, and get-togethers. 

This moong dal payasam never fails to impress the crowd.

Apart from these delicious moong dal payasam, other variations of payasam include, rice payasam, laapsi payasam ie payasam made with broken wheat, sabudana payasam (tapioca payasam) to name a few.

Traditionally coconut milk is used to make this payasam, but you can also make it using dairy milk.

This sweet payasam stays good for a week when stored in the refrigerator. It can be served warm or cold.

To make this creamy moong dal payasam, we start with roasting the moong dal which brings out a nice aroma and colour to this dessert. Then cooked in a pressure -cooker till it turns soft.

The cooked moong dal is simmered in coconut milk, sweetened with jaggery, flavoured with aromatic cardamom powder and garnished with roasted nuts and raisins to give a perfect texture to this pudding.

As time goes by, this payasam tends to thicken, making it more creamy and delicious.

Normally you will find this moong dal payasam has a very soft melt-in-mouth texture but at home, we often like to have a little firm texture hence we do not cook the lentil till they are too mushy.

It’s a personal preference, either way, the moong dal payasam turns out delicious.

We are using ghee here to roast the dry fruits and raisins and to roast the moong dal. But if you want to make a vegan version, use oil to roast the lentils and just dry roast the nuts and raisins instead.

I have used store-bought coconut milk here, but you can use fresh homemade coconut milk too.

I have used only nuts and raisins here, but you can also add dry coconut slices to give a depth of flavour to this dessert.

You will easily find dry coconut slices in any Indian grocery store or even in supermarkets.

You are going to love this sweet creamy thick dessert because

1) It’s healthy

2) Protein-rich

3) Easy to make

4) Taste Delicious

Storage

Moong dal payasam stays good for about a week in the refrigerator.

Serving

You can serve this dessert warm or chilled. Personally, we like to serve warm along with meals.

Here are some more dessert recipes you could try

Sabudana Kheer – Tapioca Pudding

Besan Burfi – Gram Flour Fudge

Gajar Halwa – Carrot Pudding

Let’s see how to make moong dal payasam in your home kitchen.
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Frequently Asked Questions:

Can we make this payasam vegan?

Yes, you can make this moong dal payasam vegan by excluding ghee while roasting the lentils and also while roasting nuts. You can use a teaspoon of oil instead.

Is it compulsory to roast the nuts & raisins?

No, it’s not compulsory to roast the nuts and raisins, instead, you can add the nuts & raisins directly to the payasam.

Is Moong dal payasam good for health?

Moong dal payasam is made with yellow lentils also known as split green gram. This lentil is easy to digest and fibre rich. It is packed with nutrients such as protein and iron.

Can we use dairy milk for making moong dal payasam?

Traditionally coconut milk is used which enhances the taste of the dessert. But there is no hard and fast rule here, you can make use of dairy milk instead.

Ingredients

Yellow Moong Dal / Split & Skinned Green Gram: I have used 1 cup of yellow moong dal (approximately 250gms) which I roasted in a teaspoon of ghee till they turned golden brown and released a nice aroma.

Jaggery: I have used 1/2 cup of jaggery. In case you do not have jaggery, you may use brown sugar instead.

Coconut Milk: I added 200 ml of coconut water that I mixed with half a cup of water. Here I have used store-bought coconut milk. You can also use homemade coconut milk to make this payasam.

Cardamom Powder: To give this payasam a sweet aromatic flavour, I have used a teaspoon of cardamom powder. I crushed the cardamom pods using a pestle & mortar. You can easily get cardamom powder at any Indian grocery store.

Dry Fruits / Nuts: To give this soft lentil dessert some crunch and texture, I have added some cashew nuts along with slit almonds and raisins. You can add nuts of your choice.

Other than nuts, you can also add some roasted dry coconut slices which will enhance the taste of this payasam.

Ghee: Traditionally any Indian dessert is made using ghee. So at home also we like to use ghee for making most of the dessert recipes.

Here I have used 1 tablespoon of ghee which I have used for roasting nuts and lentils. For making it vegan, you can use oil instead.

Water: I used half a cup of water while mixing the coconut milk and 2 cups of water to cook the lentil.

How to prep moong dal lentils?

To prep the moong dal, we need to roast the dal/lentil in a teaspoon of ghee till they turn golden brown. Once roasted, add water and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles. Our cooked moong dal lentils are ready.

How To Make Moong Dal Payasam?

Let’s start with roasting the dry fruits (nuts) and raisins.

  • In a pan, heat a teaspoon of ghee and add slit almonds, and cashew nuts and raisins. Fry them until they turn golden brown. Keep aside and let them cool a bit.
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Making of moong dal payasam
  • Rinse moong dal in water to get rid of impurities.
  • In a pan, add a teaspoon of ghee and roast the dal/lentil until it turns golden brown and releases a nice aroma.
Moongdal Payasam | Healthy Moongdal Kheer https://thespicycafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/moong-dal-payasam-kheer-Indian-dessert-vegetarian-glutenfree-delicious-navratri-festivals-sweets.jpg https://thespicycafe.com/moongdal-payasam/
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  • Once the moong dal / lentil is nicely roasted. Add 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles till the dal is soft and cooked perfectly.
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  • Our cooked moong dal is ready.
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  • In a saucepan, add a teaspoon of ghee. Add the cooked dal along with the jaggery, and let the jaggery melt completely.
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  • Add 200 ml or 1 cup of coconut milk and simmer the dal in the milk for about 5 minutes. Keep stirring.
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  • Add cardamom powder and roasted nuts & raisins.

Watch Recipe Video – Moong Dal Payasam

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Moongdal Payasam | Healthy Moongdal Kheer https://thespicycafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/moong-dal-payasam-kheer-Indian-dessert-vegetarian-glutenfree-delicious-navratri-festivals-sweets.jpg https://thespicycafe.com/moongdal-payasam/
  • Simmer for another minute.
  • Delicious moong dal payasam is ready.
Moongdal Payasam | Healthy Moongdal Kheer https://thespicycafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/moong-dal-payasam-kheer-Indian-dessert-vegetarian-glutenfree-delicious-navratri-festivals-sweets.jpg https://thespicycafe.com/moongdal-payasam/
  • Serve warm or chilled.

Note:

In case you do not have jaggery, you can use brown sugar instead.

Instead of nuts, you can add roasted dry coconut slices to garnish the payasam.

The colour of the payasam mostly depends on the colour of the jaggery. So many times you will find the colour difference from recipe to recipe.

Detailed Recipe Card

yellow moong dal payasam vegetarian Indian dessert glutenfree protein rich festive occassions

Moong Dal Payasam – Yellow Lentil Pudding

Anjali P
Moong dal payasam is a sweet, creamy, luscious, thick and delicious dessert made from yellow moong dal also known as split skinned green gram along with coconut milk, jaggery and cardamom powder and roasted nuts and raisins.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Indian

Equipment

  • 1 Pressure Cooker You can make it in instant pot aswell.

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup Yellow Moong Dal / Split & Skinned Green Gram
  • 1/2 cup Jaggery
  • 200 ml Coconut Milk
  • 1 tsp Cardamom Powder
  • 1 tsp Ghee, to roast nuts & raisins
  • 1 tsp Ghee, to roast Lentils
  • Handful of Slit Almonds & Cashew Nuts
  • 1 tbsp Raisins
  • 3 cups Water

Instructions
 

  • Rinse moong dal with water to get rid of impurities.
  • In a pan, add a teaspoon of ghee and roast the dal/lentil until it turns golden brown and releases a nice aroma.
  • Once the moong dal / lentil is nicely roasted. Add water and pressures cook for 4-5 whistles till the dal is soft and cooked perfectly.
  • In a saucepan, add a teaspoon of ghee. Add the cooked dal along with jaggery, and let the jaggery melt a bit.
  • Add 200 ml or 1 cup of coconut milk and simmer the dal in the milk for about 5 minutes. Keep of stirring occasionally.
  • Add cardamom powder and roasted nuts & raisins. Simmer for another minute.
  • Moong dal payasam is ready. Serve warm or chilled.

Notes

In case you do not have jaggery, you can use brown sugar instead.
Instead of nuts, you can add roasted dry coconut slices to garnish the payasam.
The colour of the payasam mostly depends on the colour of the jaggery. So many times you will find the colour difference from recipe to recipe.
Keyword Indian desserts, kheer recipes, moong dal payasam, payasam

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3 thoughts on “Moongdal Payasam | Healthy Moongdal Kheer”

  1. 5 stars
    Could you kindly provide instant pot method for making the moong dal? The ratio of dal to water and the pressure level/time? Thank you!

    Reply
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