Payatham Parupu/Moong Dal Payasam

I made Moong Dal Payasam on valentines day, a sweet treat for my loved ones.

Ingredients:

Pasipayaru (Moong Dal) - 1 cup
Jaggery / Vellam             - 1/2 to 3/4 cup
                                           (Depending on the sweetness of the vellam)
Milk                                - 4 cups
Cardomom powder         - 1 tsp
Cashews                         -  few
Ghee                               - 2 tbs
Coconut pieces               -  few

Method :

Dry roast  moong dal until you get a nice aroma. Make sure not to burn the dal. Meanwhile melt the jaggery in little water, filter any impurities and keep it aside. Pressure cook the dal in 3 cups of water for one whistle. If the dal is still aldente, cook in simmer with the lid open. Gently mash it with the back of the laddle and add the melted jaggery to the dal. Give a nice stir . Reduce the flame and add the milk slowly. Let it cook for some time. Add cardomom powder and garnish with the ghee roasted cashews and tiny coconut pieces for the crunch.

Kaaramani (Yard long Bean/Chori) Parupu Usili

Ingredients

Yard long Beans - 1 bunch (2-3 cups chopped)
Channa dhal - 1/2 cup or mixed dhals(channa:toor)soaked
Red Chili - 2
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt

To Temper

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad Dhal - 1 tsp
Broken Red Chili - 1
Hing - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - few




Method
Coarsely grind channa dhal and red chili with little salt. Microwave the ground mixture for 1-2 minutes or you can steam it in idli cooker. Once it cools down, give few pulses in the mixer to crumble. Add turmeric and salt to the beans and cook with sprinkles of water and keep it aside. Take oil in a pan and temper mustard seeds, urad dhal, hing and curry leaves. Add cooked beans to the pan and give a nice stir. Finally add the crumbled dhal , stir well and cook in simmer for few minutes.

Serve with hot rice and sambar.