For increasing agricultural growth through enhancement of production and productivity of crops; Government of India is implementing, through State Governments various Crop Development Schemes/ Programmes viz National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) etc.

Pulses production in our country relies largely on rainfall as pulses are mostly grown in rainfed areas. Pulses witness huge fluctuations in prices depending upon rainfall. Even with lots of awareness programmes for promoting pulses, our country imports pulses to meet the gap between domestic production and demand. The Government promotes production of pulses through National Food Security Mission and pulses promotion programmes and announces Minimum Support Price (MSP) for pulses every year to support farmers. However MSP needed to be locally referenced as the many risks including climate related that the farmers are facing have local connotations. This will also encourage farmers to take up pulses production on a larger scale and will enable India to help achieve self-sufficiency in pulses in a few years.

Even though Pulses have been in our traditionally diet, in the form of ‘Idly, Dosai, Vada (Snack), Sambhar (Vegetable Curry) , Kheers (Sweets), changing consumption patterns, the introduction of new snacks like breads etc. has paved ways for ignoring this rich nutritional seeds.



Two very famous Pulses Delight recipes have been added here.



Recipe for ‘Sukhiyan'

- Put Green gram (Mung Bean) in the Pressure cooker with a pinch of salt by adding around 2 cups of water. 

- Heat the Ghee in a heavy bottomed pan,

- Add the grated coconut, mix well.

- Add the cardamom powder and the green gram mix to the pan.

- Saute it well for a couple of minutes and then remove from the stove.

 

Recipe for  Green Gram Kheer (Parippu Pradhaman)



Ingredients:

Cherupayar Parippu/Moong dal: 200 gm

Jaggery (sharkara): About 400 gms (increase or decrease according to your sweet tooth)

Ghee: 1 heaped tsp.

Thick coconut milk: 1 to 1 1/2 cups.

Thin coconut milk: 3-4 cups.



Dry roast spice garnish:

Dry ginger/chukku: 1 small piece, lightly crushed.

Cardamon: 10-15.

Jeera: 1/2 tsp.



Spice for seasoning:

A tsp of rasins, cashewnuts, and about a handful of finely sliced coconut pieces

One tsp of ghee for roasting.



Method:



- Heat a pressure cooker and add a heaped tsp of ghee ,Lightly roast the parippu and pour 3-4 cups of thin coconut milk into the cooker. Pressure cook for 5-6 whistles.

- Meanwhile, put the jaggery into a deep bottomed pan, add 1/2 to 1 cup water and melt it. Once it boils, it will foam out, so pls stay close and once it boils, simmer and switch off the fire....allow it cool slightly and strain it into a metal strainer....this is to remove the dirt, if there are any. Incase if you are very sure that your jaggery is clean....just melt it in 1/2 cup water and keep aside

- Open, the cooker and mash the green gram lightly, some like it really mashed up add the melted jaggery and mix well. Bring it to a boil and simmer it for 20-30 minutes....stirring all the while and taking care that it does not stick to the bottom.....melted jaggery will be reduced by half. While it is simmering away, dry roast the cardamon, jeera, and the dry ginger

- Cut coconut pieces into thin strips. Powder the dry roasted spices. Add the thick coconut milk into the cooker, after adding the thick milk, do not allow it to boil as this might make it curdle....once it starts to boil switch of the fire and add the grounded spices. Finally, heat a tsp of ghee in another pan and fry the coconut pieces until they are lightly browned, then add the cashewnuts, and raisins..... Sprinkle them on top of the payasam. Kheer is ready.