Instructions: One of the most beautiful states of India Kerala comes alive with the sound of music around the end of August each year to celebrate the festival of Onam. It is celebrated in style richly caparisoned elephants are led in endless processions boat races are held in the backwaters of the villages homes are decorated with flowers and gleaming brass lamps and sumptuous feasts are served on fresh green banana leaves. A highlight of the Onam feast is channa dal payasam a traditional sweet made by cooking gram lentils jaggery coconut cardamom cashew nuts and raisins in ghee or clarified butter. Gram lentils are associated with festivities. Each indian festival has its own preparation made from this lentil.

how they grow
Gram or Bengal gram as it is also known is the most widely grown lentil in India. The bushy shrub bears seedfilled pods each containing 2 or 3 lentils. They are picked in early winter when they turn ripe and brown. Then they are husked and left whole split or ground into a flour.

appearance and taste
Matte and yellow gram lentis resemble yellow lentils but are slightly bigger and coarser. They are stronger in taste than most other lentils with a nutty sweet aroma and flavour.

buying and storing
Good gram lentils should be plump and bright. Store in an airtight container for about 4 months.

culinary uses
All lentils cause flatulence but gram most of all and therefore it is cooked with a good pinch of asafoetida. Gram lentils are cooked in a variety of ways with onions spices tamarind or garlic or mixed with meat for kababs and koftas. They are used with vegetables especially squashes cooked with meats in spicy curries like dal gosht and in sweets. Cooked with jaggery and ground to a paste they are used for stuffings in Maharashtrian pancakes called puranpoli fried in squares or cooked with rice. Lentil flour is also a versatile ingredient.

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