Parippu Payasam (പരിപ്പ് പായസം)

Parippu Payasam is a classic Kerala temple dessert and festive offering — split moong dal or chana dal slow-cooked in coconut milk, sweetened with dark jaggery, and perfumed with cardamom, dry ginger, and a tempering of coconut oil, cashews, and raisins. It is a centrepiece of the Onam sadya (feast) and is offered at temples across Kerala as prasad.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 150g (¾ cup) split moong dal (yellow, hulled) or chana dal
• 200g (¾ cup) dark jaggery (or muscovado sugar), grated
• 400ml (1⅔ cups) full-fat coconut milk, divided
• 200ml (¾ cup) thin coconut milk or water
• ½ tsp (1g) ground cardamom
• ¼ tsp (0.5g) dry ginger powder
• A pinch of cumin seeds

Tempering

• 2 tbsp (30ml) coconut oil
• 30g (¼ cup) cashew nuts, halved
• 30g (2 tbsp) golden raisins
• 2 tbsp (15g) freshly grated coconut or toasted dried coconut

Instructions

1. Dry-roast the moong dal in a heavy pan over medium heat, stirring constantly for 4–5 minutes until lightly golden and nutty-smelling. Remove and let cool.
2. Add roasted dal to a pot with thin coconut milk and 400ml (1⅔ cups) water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20–25 minutes until the dal is completely soft and beginning to dissolve into the liquid. Mash lightly with the back of a spoon.
3. In a small pan, dissolve jaggery in 4 tbsp (60ml) water over low heat. Strain through a fine sieve to remove impurities. Add to the cooked dal.
4. Pour in 300ml (1¼ cups) coconut milk. Stir and simmer gently for 10 minutes over low heat until the payasam thickens and turns a rich caramel brown. Do not boil vigorously or the coconut milk may curdle.
5. Add cardamom, dry ginger, and cumin. Stir in remaining 100ml coconut milk and remove from heat.
6. Tempering: heat coconut oil in a small pan, fry cashews until golden, add raisins until plump, then grated coconut for 30 seconds. Pour over the payasam.
7. Serve warm or at room temperature in small clay or steel cups.

Cook's Notes: Parippu Payasam thickens considerably as it cools — thin with a little coconut milk when reheating. Dark jaggery gives a deeper, more complex flavour than light jaggery; if using palm jaggery, reduce quantity slightly as it is more intense.