Moong Dal Payasam (Instant Pot)

Moong dal payasam step-by-step recipe with video and photos.

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• About this recipe
• Ingredients
• Step by step instructions
• Useful tips
• FAQs
• Bonus
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About this recipe

Moong dal kheer is an easy and delicious South Indian sweet dish made with petite yellow lentils. This traditional dish is made with coconut milk and sweetened using jaggery. Popularly known as hesaru bele payasa in Karnataka and paruppu payasam in Andhra, it is common during festivals and is really easy to make.

Making this refined sugar-free dessert in the Instant Pot is a breeze and tastes just like the authentic moong dal payasam. The main ingredients used to make this kheer is moong dal, jaggery, and coconut milk. Cashew, raisins, and dried coconut slices are used to add a nutty taste and texture. Ghee is used to roasting nuts and moong dal; however, it can be replaced with any neutral oil.

I have earlier shared how to make semiya kheer in Instant Pot. Here is my recipe with mung dal. Read on for ingredients, step-by-step instructions, and tips to make this delicious moong dal kheer in Instant Pot. Click here for my collection of Instant Pot Indian desserts.

Ingredients

Moong dal: Or petite yellow lentils, this is the main ingredient.

Coconut milk: You can use store-bought or homemade coconut milk. See the tips section to make coconut milk at home.

Jaggery: This payasam is traditionally sweetened using jaggery. It can be replaced by using raw sugar or coconut sugar.

Ghee: It is used to fry the moong dal. For a vegan version, replace it with any neutral cooking oil.

Other ingredients: Cashew, raisins, coconut slice, cardamom powder.

Step by step instructions

Fry cashew in ghee for about one minute. Once it begins to get golden, add raisins and coconut slices. Fry until the raisins puff up. Set everything aside (step 1).

Next, add moong dal and fry for 2 minutes, until the dal is aromatic (step 2).

Add 2 cups of water and mix well. Cancel the saute mode and set the IP to pressure cook mode for 8 minutes (steps 3,4).

Do a natural release of the pressure for 10 minutes and put the Instant Pot back to saute mode (step 5).

Lightly mash the dal, taking care not to make it too mushy. Add jaggery and mix well. Let the IP be in saute mode until the jaggery melts completely (steps 6,7).

Turn off the saute mode and add coconut milk (step 8).

Mix well and top with fried cashew, raisins, and coconut slices. Serve warm (steps 9,10).

Useful tips

Make sure the lid and sealing ring of the Instant Pot is cleaned thoroughly. I set aside a spare sealing ring that I use to make sweet dishes.

Frying the moong dal in ghee is an important step and cannot be skipped. Put the Instant Pot in saute mode (normal) and it does not take more than 2 minutes to turn lightly golden and aromatic.

You can replace jaggery with coconut sugar or raw sugar.

Do not do a quick release of pressure. Wait for the pressure to come down naturally.

Do not mash the cooked dal completely. We want it to have some texture.

I like to use coconut milk in this recipe. However, moong dal kheer can also be made using regular milk.

You can use either store-bought or homemade coconut milk. Making coconut milk at home is very easy - grind ½ cup of freshly grated coconut with 1½ cups of lukewarm water. Pass it through a muslin cloth or nut milk bag.

FAQs

Bonus

This Instant Pot moong dal payasam is:
- very easy to make
- perfect for festivals and celebrations
- customizable to make vegan-friendly
- quick, delicious, and healthy

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