Arisi Paruppu Payasam Recipe – Rice Moong Dal Payasam With Jaggery & Milk

• Raw rice – 1/4 cup
• Moong dal – 1 tbsp
• Grated jaggery – 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp
• Crushed cardamom – 2 nos
• Cloves – 2 nos
• Mace / Jathikai – a small piece
• Cashew nuts – Few
• Ghee – 2 tbsp
• Milk – 1/2 cup ( Vegans use coconut milk instead)
• Water – 2.5 cups

• In a pressure cooker base, heat 1 tsp of ghee. Roast the moong dal till dal becomes aromatic and golden brown.Remove in a plate. Add 1 tsp ghee and roast the rice. Roast till it turns puffy and white. Its optional to roast the rice. But roasted rice gives more flavor to the kheer. So the choice is yours.
  
  
• After roasting the rice add 2.5 cups of water. Add the roasted dal and pressure cook in very low flame for 3 whistles till they cook mushy. Remove after the steam is released. Mash it really well.
  
  
• Add grated jaggery and 1/2 cup water. Mix well in low flame until jaggery melts completely. ( If jaggery has impurities, you should boil separately and melt the jaggery in 1/2 cup water, filter it and then add the syrup to the cooked rice). After the jaggery is completely mixed with the rice, let it boil for sometime till raw smell of jaggery goes off. If needed, add 1/2 cup water while boiling. Add cardamom powder & mix well.
  
  
• After the payasam becomes slightly thick, switch off the flame and add 1/2 cup boiled milk or thick coconut milk. Mix well and check for consistency. Add more milk if needed. Heat ghee in a small pan. Roast cashews, cloves and crushed mace till cashews become golden. Mix well and add to the payasam. Serve hot.
• This rice kheer becomes very thick when it cools down.So you should add more milk, water or coconut milk to adjust the consistency, check for taste. Add more sugar or jaggery syrup if needed. Give a boil and serve hot.
  

Enjoy !

• Roasting rice is optional.But it gives a nice flavor to the payasam.
• If you feel jaggery has impurities, you should mix it with 1/2 cup water. Boil and melt in medium flame. Once its melted completely, strain it through a metal filter. Then add this syrup to the cooked rice+dal mixture.
• The quantity of milk depends on the desired consistency of payasam.
• You can use 1/2 cup coconut milk instead of milk.
• Add equal quantity of milk and coconut milk if you wish.
• Adding cloves and small piece of mace gives a awesome flavor to the kheer. So do not skip it.