Vorn or Moong Dal Payasam

Vorn or Payasam (Sweet dish made from Moong Dal, Rice, Coconut Milk & Jaggery)

Ingredients:

1/4 Kg Moong Dal (Green Gram Dal) without skin

1 Coconut (Milk) – taken the traditional way- by grinding the scraped coconut with water and squeezed out the coconut milk. You can also use Maggi or Nestle Coconut Milk Powder. Also canned coconut milk can be used. I used 2 cans of 425 ml. One as thick milk, the other diluted by adding another two cans of water to make 3 cans of thin milk.

50 gms Rice flour (smooth paste by adding water) or 50 gms of raw rice soaked for 1 to 2 hours and ground in blender to a smooth paste.

Some pieces of Cashewnuts (25 gms)

Some raisins (25 gms)

Some sliced almonds (optional)

200 grams Jaggery (scraped)

Salt (a pinch)

1/4 tsp Cardamon Powder

Method:

Wash the Moong dal a couple of times and then boil this in a pan with two cups of water. When dal is cooked add thin coconut milk and bring to boil. Add the jaggery and a pinch of salt. When jaggery has dissolved add the other ingredients – raisins, cashewnuts, almonds. Boil for a couple of minutes. Then on very low flame add the rice flour paste little by little, stirring all the time. This will prevent from lumps forming.  Again when it starts boiling, again on low flame add the thick coconut milk, this will prevent from the coconut milk getting curdled due to high heat. Mix well and allow to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle the cardamon powder and mix well. Remove from flame.

Enjoy this traditional Mangalorean Sweet!!