Parippu Payasam, also known as Cherupayar Parippu Payasam, is a rich and traditional Kerala dessert made with moong dal (split yellow gram), jaggery, and coconut milk. It is one of the most loved payasams served at the end of a sadya. Thick, sweet, and full of flavour, parippu payasam brings a perfect finish to the grand banana leaf feast.
The dish is made by roasting the moong dal until it gives a nice aroma, then cooking it soft. Jaggery is melted and strained, then mixed with the dal, and finally, thick and thin coconut milk is added in stages. The payasam is slow-cooked until it thickens and becomes creamy. A final garnish of ghee-fried coconut bits, cashews, and a pinch of dry ginger or cardamom adds a lovely taste and aroma.
Personally, this is one of my favourite payasams. In a sadya, I love to have it with papadam. Just crush a bit of papadam into the payasam, mix it, and enjoy that sweet and slightly salty combination – it tastes amazing! The crispy papadam with the creamy, jaggery-rich payasam creates a contrast that makes the last part of the sadya even more special. If you haven’t tried it yet, do it next time – you’ll thank me later!
Parippu Payasam
Ingredients
Instructions
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First, clean the moong dal thoroughly. Dry roast it in a pan until it becomes crisp and gives off a nice aroma.
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Grate fresh coconut. We will now extract the coconut milk, known in Kerala as Thenga Paal.
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Onnam Paal / Thala Paal (First Milk): Grind the grated coconut with a little warm water. Squeeze the thick milk using a clean cloth or strainer. This is the thickest milk.
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Randam Paal (Second Milk): Use the already-squeezed coconut. Add some more hot water, grind again, and extract the milk. This milk is thinner than the first one.
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Moonam Paal (Third Milk): Using the same coconut, add more hot water and grind once more. Squeeze and extract the thinnest milk. Keep all three types of milk ready.
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Now cook the roasted moong dal with enough water. Make sure it doesn’t get overcooked or mashed.
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Meanwhile, melt jaggery with a tablespoon of water. Strain it to remove impurities and keep the syrup aside.
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Add the cooked moong dal to the jaggery syrup. Mix thoroughly and cook this mixture until the water content reduces to less than half.
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Add a teaspoon of ghee (you may add more if you like). Mix well.
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Now add the third coconut milk (Moonam Paal). Stir continuously. When the liquid reduces again to half, add a little more ghee if needed.
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Add the second milk (Randam Paal) and continue stirring. Let the payasam thicken again, and once the consistency is right, add a little more ghee.
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Finally, add the first milk (Onnam Paal) and cardamom powder. Turn off the flame and mix everything gently.
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In a separate pan, heat some ghee. Add coconut strips and roast until golden brown. Add this to the payasam.
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If you like, you can also add ghee-roasted cashew nuts and raisins for extra richness and flavour.