Instructions

cooking chana dal
Rinse ½ cup chana dal a couple of times in water and then soak chana dal for 2 to 3 hours. You can even soak for 30 minutes and then pressure cook. Soaking for more time reduce the cooking time. You can also pressure cook the chana dal directly.
Then drain all the water from the soaked chana dal.
Take the chana dal in a pan or vessel which will fit inside the pressure cooker. Also add 1 cup water.
Add 1.5 cups water in the pressure cooker. Then place this pan or vessel in the pressure cooker.
Pressure cook the soaked chana dal for 4 to 5 whistles or for 9 to 10 minutes on medium flame. If you are pressure cooking the dal directly then cook for 5 to 6 whistles or for 10 to 12 minutes.
You can also cook the lentils directly in the cooker, in this case add 1.5 cups of water to the lentils then pressure cook. The lentils can be cooked in a pan too but it will take a longer time.
When the pressure settle down on its own, remove the lid of pressure cooker and check the chana dal. The lentils should be cooked well.
If the chana dal is not cooked then add some more water to the dal and in the pressure cooker and cook till done. But don't over cook. The chana dal should not be too pasty or lumpy.
making chana dal payasam
Pour the entire contents of the small vessel (cooked chana dal + water) in another pan or kadai.
Mash the chana dal with a spoon.
Add ½ cup thin coconut milk. You can also add water instead of thin coconut milk.
Next add ¾ cup jaggery powder. For a less sweet taste, you can add ½ cup grated jaggery or jaggery powder, stir well.
Keep the pan or kadai on stove top on a low flame and begin to heat this mixture. Mix well and stir so that the jaggery dissolves.
Once all the jaggery dissolves, then add 1 cup thick coconut milk.
Mix very well and gently heat for a minute or two. Switch off the flame and place aside. Do not over heat or boil as the coconut milk might curdle.
tempering for chana dal payasam
In a small pan or tadka pan, heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil. Add 12 to 15 cashews. Fry till the cashews begin to get golden.
Once the cashews start becoming golden, add 1 tablespoon raisins and ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
Fry the raisins till they plump and swell.
Now pour the entire content of the tadka pan (coconut oil+cashews+raisins) in the chana dal payasam.
Mix very well and serve chana dal payasam hot or warm or chilled. Left over chana dal payasam can be refrigerated once it comes to room temperature.