Navarathri Neivedyam VII – Carrot and Chana dal Payasam

“Today should be a payasam”, I thought. I had not made one for the Navarathri yet. Again, I wanted a neivedyam which did not need any major effort from my side. I remembered the carrot and chana dal payasam by Priya, which I had bookmarked a few days back. I zoomed into the recipe. As it is, the recipe sounded very easy, and I simplified it further. I wanted carrots to dominate the payasam, hence changed the proportions of ingredients to suit my taste. The end result was a lovely thick payasam which had a deliciously creamy custardy consistency. And the colour was a beautiful brilliant orange!

Navarathri Neivedyam VII – Carrot and Chana dal Payasam

Ingredients (serves three)

Carrots (chopped): 1 cup
Chana dal (raw): 1/3 cup
Sweetened condensed milk/ Milkmaid: ¼ cup
Milk: ½ cup
Sugar: 3 tbsp
Elaichi: 5 – 6 pods, crushed
Edible camphor: one pinch
Ghee: 1 – 2 tsp
Cashews, almonds and raisins (chopped or broken): 1 tbsp each

Method:

Wash and soak the dal for atleast half an hour.
Pressure cook the dal together with the carrots adding about ¾ cup of water.
Cook it for about 5 whistles so that it gets mushy.
Once the pressure releases, cool it and grind into a fine paste.
Now, in a deep bottomed vessel, heat ghee and fry the dry fruits and keep aside.
Add the ground carrot-chanadal paste to it.
Add the milk, condensed milk, camphor, elaichi and the sugar to it.
On a medium flame, cook it and allow it come to a boil.
Switch off.
Mix the garnishing and offer to God.
Serve warm or cold and enjoy!

This bowl of payasam goes to 'Anyone can cook Series - 3' and to 'Celebrate Sweets - Kheer' events hosted by Taste of Pearl City