Sesame seed Payasam /Ellu Payasam/Sweet Kheer:

South Indian Main meal consists of a wonderful combination of tastes to treat our taste buds, tastes are more or less balanced with 6 tastes know as “Arusuvai” in Tamil (Salt, Spicy, Sour, Sweet Tangy, and Bitter). Payasam is a sweet served to make the meal very special in south Indian meals. Feast as Rajabogham with many side dishes and condiments to entertain as grand meal highlighting dish is “Payasam”. This is also specially made as Neivedhyam offered to God on festivals. Sesame payasam is made on the month Puratasi Saturday for Lord Mahavishnu. It has a unique taste with jaggery, split moong, and coconut milk seasoned with roasted sesame seeds.

Ingredients:

Split Yellow Moong Dal-1/2 cup or can be a choice of Channa dal here I am using Moong dal.

Jaggery-3/4 cup grated or pound

Sesame seeds/Ellu Black or white is fine-1 tbsp (slightly roasted in Ghee adds special taste)

Ghee-1 tbsp

Cashews -5nos

Cardamom-3nos

Coconut milk-1 cup, first milk or thick milk

Method:

Heat pan with half a teaspoon of ghee and slightly roast moong dal. Pressure cook for 3 whistles to get smooth cooked dal.

Again in a pan add 1/2 teaspoon of ghee roast cashews golden yellow and collect now, add sesame seeds and roast for a while not on high flame it will get burnt as we will not know the color so better fry on a medium flame for half a minute.

Once the pressure releases to normal mash dal slightly add jaggery allow it to boil untill jaggery gets dissolved completely.

Add coconut milk and fresh milk, once it starts boiling add powdered cardamom, fried cashews and sesame seeds switch off on the boiling stage do not allow it to boil for a long time. ( It may curdle if you boil milk and jaggery for a long time)

Delicious Sesame Payasam is ready