South Indian Jaggery and Lentil Pudding with Coconut Milk

Name: South Indian Jaggery and Lentil Pudding with Coconut Milk (Paruppu Payasam)
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ¼ cup yellow moong dal (split); 2 tablespoons chana dal (Bengal gram dal); 2 tablespoons chana dal (Bengal gram dal); 1½ cups milk; 1 cup coconut milk; 2 tablespoons fresh coconut, grated; ½ cup jaggery; 1 teaspoon cardamom powder (elaichi); 1 teaspoon cardamom powder (elaichi); 1 tablespoon ghee; 10 cashews, halved

Paruppu Payasam

Preparation info

Yield:
6 to 8
servings

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Everyday Indian from Archana’s Kitchen

By Archana Doshi

Published 2026

About

A South Indian festive dessert, Paruppu Payasam is made with yellow lentils, jaggery, coconut milk, and cardamom, creating a sweet, velvety pudding. It’s a must-have during Onam and Tamil New Year’s feasts, and I love how the jaggery and coconut milk give it a naturally rich and deep flavor!

Ingredients

¼ cup yellow moong dal (split)
2 tablespoons chana dal (Bengal gram dal)
1½

Asia
India
Kerala
Tamil Nadu
Dessert
Vegetarian
Onam
Tamil New Year’s

Method

Soak the dals in water for 30 minutes.

In a pressure cooker or electric multi-cooker, combine the moong dal and chana dal with 1 cup of water and pressure-cook for 4 whistles, or 10 minutes in an electric multi-cooker. Turn off the heat and let the pressure release naturally. Mash the dals just enough to retain a grainy texture. Set aside.

Transfer to a heavy-bottomed pan