Senagapappu Payasam (Chana Dal Kheer)

Kheer/Payasam - is an essential dish in many Hindu and Muslim feasts and celebrations. While the dish is most often made with rice, it can be made with other ingredients also like vermicelli etc. Payasam is served as an offering to the Gods in South Indian Hindu temples during rituals and ceremonies.

Ingredients

Senagapappu/Chana dal : 1 cup
Sago/sabudana : 1/2 cup (if sago is small in size, you can take up to 1 cup of it)
Jaggery/sugar : as per taste
Milk : 3 cups
Cardamom : 4 pods; finely powder the seeds
Ghee : 1 tablespoon
Fresh grated coconut : 2 tablespoons (Optional)
Cashew nuts, raisins : for garnishing

1. Soak chana dal and sago for 2 hours. (If you are using fine sago, soak it for 15 mins before cooking).
2. Pressure cook dal with a cup of milk till dal is 3/4th cooked.
3. Dissolve sugar/jaggery in some water.
4. Bring to boil the remaining milk. Once it starts boiling, add the soaked sago, sugar/jaggery syrup and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.
5. Add the cooked the dal and cook until it's about to reach required consistency. Remove from heat. (Cooling the payasam will thicken it further).
6. Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan. Toast cashew nuts and raisins till they turn golden brown.
7. Add these to the payasam along with cardamom powder, grated coconut, stir well and cover with a lid.
6. Serve payasam warm or cold.
 
Note :  You can also use vermicelli instead of sago. You can also mash 2 pods of saffron and add it along with cardamom powder. You can also few tablespoons of moong dal (pesarapappu) along with chana dal.