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Moong dal payasam

Vegan moong dal payasam (Indian mung bean pudding)

Viola
This gorgeous, sweet and creamy pudding is a popular south Indian dessert called moong dal payasam and my recipe is both vegan & gluten free.
4.60 from 5 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Desserts
Cuisine Indian
Servings 8
Calories 380 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

Instructions
 

  • Rinse the moong dal and tapioca, changing water 3-4 times or until the water is clear.

Instant pot instructions

  • Add the washed dal and tapioca along with 2.5 cups of water and salt to the instant pot and pressure cook it on high for 8 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally before opening.

Manual pressure cooker instructions

  • Add the washed dal and tapioca along with 2.5 cups of water and salt to the pressure cooker and pressure cook it on high until the first whistle. Reduce the flame to low and cook it on low for 13 minutes before turning off the heat. Let the pressure release naturally before opening.

Stove top instructions

  • Add the washed dal and tapioca along with 2.5 cups of water and salt to a heavy bottomed pot on the stove and let it come up to a boil on high heat. When it starts boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for 25 minutes or until the lentils are almost mushy with still some bite left.

Making the pudding/payasam

  • Add in the can of coconut milk into the cooked dal and tapioca and mix well to combine. Cook this mixture on medium heat (either in the instant pot or stove top) for about 3 minutes, stirring every minute.
  • Add in the jaggery and mix everything well to combine. Cook the pudding for about 2 more minutes or until the jaggery dissolves and mixes well.
  • Pour in 1 cup of water into the payasam and stir well to combine. Cook it for another 2-3 minutes or until it is heated through. If you find that the pudding is too thick at this point, you can add an additional ¼-1/2 cup of water.
  • Taste and adjust sweetness if desired. Take the pudding off the heat and stir in the ground cardamom.

Making the toasted cashews and raisins

  • In a frying pan on medium low heat, heat the coconut oil until it melts and add in the cashews and coconut pieces. Cook them until they are lightly browned and then add in the golden raisins. Mix and cook the raisins until they puff up in the coconut oil and are rehydrated. Turn off the heat and transfer the cashews and raisins along with any excess coconut oil into the warm pudding.
  • Serve the pudding in bowls, while it is still warm.

Notes

  1. Using full-fat coconut milk in the recipe means that you don't need to slowly cook the dal in milk for it to thicken and cuts down the recipe time considerably. If you would rather using dairy milk in the recipe, you can absolutely replace the coconut milk + water with full fat dairy milk in this recipe. The rest of the instructions will remain the same.
  2. If you don't like cardamom, I think both cinnamon and nutmeg would be nice replacements for cardamom in this recipe.
  3. I love the crunch from the nuts and pops of flavor from the juicy raisins in this recipe. If you are allergic to nuts, you could replace them with sunflower or pumpkin seeds in this recipe.
  4. The tapioca (sabudana) helps in thickening the pudding and adding a lovely chewiness that is a fun contrast to the crunchy nuts and juicy raisins. If you don't like tapioca/can't find it, you can replace it with extra lentils instead.
  5. This pudding thickens considerably when it cools down and when refrigerated. Add in extra water as needed to loosen the pudding before reheating and serving.

Estimated Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Vegan moong dal payasam (Indian mung bean pudding)
Calories
380
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
15
g
23
%
Saturated Fat
 
11
g
69
%
Sodium
 
92
mg
4
%
Potassium
 
167
mg
5
%
Carbohydrates
 
56
g
19
%
Fiber
 
5
g
21
%
Sugar
 
28
g
31
%
Protein
 
11
g
22
%
Vitamin A
 
50
IU
1
%
Vitamin C
 
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
 
27
mg
3
%
Iron
 
3
mg
17
%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
*Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.
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