DS14 · Desserts · Kerala
Parippu Pradhaman (Moong Dal Payasam)
Kerala's Onam payasam: roasted moong dal simmered in jaggery and coconut milk, finished with ghee-fried cashews, raisins and coconut. This version lightens the coconut milk with dairy milk.
- Region
- Kerala
- Diet
- Strictly vegetarian, egg-free
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Time, as written
- Prep 10 min · Cook 40 min
- Serves
- 4 (about 200 ml each)
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Status
- Traditional; part of the coconut milk replaced with toned milk
- Good for
- Onam, Vishu, festive meals
Nutrition
Good source| Per serving | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Sat fat | Fibre | Sugars | Added sugar | Protein per 100 kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As written | 290 | 9 g | 34 g | 13 g | 9 g | 3 g | 23 g | 17 g | 3.0 g |
Tier: Good source. This is the sweetest dessert in the chapter; traditional pradhaman uses about 50% more jaggery. Coconut milk and ghee supply most of the saturated fat. Values checked against IFCT 2017 on 15 Oct 2026.
Values are estimates calculated from the listed ingredients and quantities (IFCT 2017 and product labels), not laboratory measurements. How the numbers were calculated.
Ingredients
Method
Dry-roast moong dal on low for 4–5 minutes until golden and fragrant. Pressure-cook with 300 ml water for 2 whistles until soft but holding shape.
Add the strained jaggery syrup and simmer 8–10 minutes, stirring, until the dal absorbs it and turns glossy.
Stir in the toned milk; simmer 5 minutes.
Lower the heat to the minimum; add the coconut milk and heat through without boiling (boiling can split it). Add cardamom and dry ginger.
Fry cashews, raisins and coconut slivers in ghee until golden; pour over. Serve warm.
Protein optimisation
- Where the protein comes from
- Moong dal supplies 5 g per serving, milk 2.5 g, cashews and coconut 1 g.
- Boost
- Increase moong dal to 120 g and use 400 ml milk (+3 g protein, +45 kcal per serving), keeping jaggery the same.
Variations, serving and storage
- Regional
- Tamil paasi paruppu payasam — made with milk and jaggery only, no coconut milk.
- Substitution
- All milk and no coconut milk (lower in saturated fat, less traditional flavour).
- Storage
- 2 days refrigerated; it thickens — loosen with milk.
- Food safety
- Refrigerate within 2 hours.
- Meal prep
- Good.
Allergens
Milk, tree nuts (cashew); coconut
Labels: Good source · Soy-free · Whey-free · Gluten-free*
Gluten-free* means gluten-free only when certified gluten-free hing is used; most hing contains wheat flour.