I am very happy to present my 500th post today. At first, i must thank all my readers, followers and fellow blogger friends for their continuous support and encouragement to do better day by day.  Thank you all.

Kadalai paruppu payasam is a perfect sweet for all occasions, which can be prepared ahead of time and served hot or cold.

Ingredients:

Serves 4 to 5 people

• 1/2 cup - Bengal gram / kadalai paruppu
• 3/4 to 1 cup - Jaggery (or add as needed)
• 3 cups - Milk ( i used 2%)
• 1/4 tsp - Cardamom powder
• 10 nos - Cashew nuts
• 10 nos - Raisin
• 1 tbsp - Ghee

Preparation method:

1. Take a vessel, add powdered jaggery in a 1 1/2 cup of water ( or add enough water to cover jaggery) and bring it to a boil, cook until jaggery dissolves completely. When it boils, remove from flame and strain to remove all the impurities. Allow them to cool completely and keep it aside.
2. Take a hard bottomed vessel, add milk and bring it to boil. Reduce the flame to low and allow them to cook until milk reduce to 2 1/2 cup in volume. Keep it aside.
3. Meanwhile heat ghee in a pan, roast cashew nuts and raisins until they are slightly golden brown in color. Set aside.
4. Heat a pan, dry roast bengal gram / kadalai paruppu until it turns into slight golden brown. Then add enough water to it and pressure cook for up to 3 whistles or until they are well cooked.
5. Open the pressure cooker and mash the dal to a coarse paste. Now add boiled milk, cardamom powder, mix well and bring it to boil. Cook until it reaches consistency of payasam.
6. Finally add jaggery syrup and roasted cashew nuts and raisins. Switch off the stove immediately and serve cold or hot.

Notes:

1. Do not mash cooked kadalai paruppu to a fine paste. It should be coarse paste.
2. After adding jaggery syrup immediately switch off the stove. Do not boil it again otherwise milk will get curdled.
3. Payasam gets thick after sometime. To bring it to right consistency you can add enough warm milk or cold milk before serving.
4. To avoid curdling of milk, i keep jaggery syrup in refrigerator for a while and add it to the payasam.