Mangana

Mangana is chana dal kheer with coconut milk. It was the first time ever I had heard this name at Valaval.

We make Chana dal puran but this was new to me. The coconut milk lends it a very delicate flavor and how it brings out the savoriness in a Sol Kadhi and the mellow sweetness in a Mangana is amazing.

Ingredients

1 cup Chana dal

Milk of 1 coconut

1/2 cup jaggery

1 tablespoon ghee

4-5 cardamom pods

1/8 cup cashews and raisins

Put the chana dal in a small pressure cooker. Wash it several times. Cover the dal with enough water, I used about 2.5 glasses and keep on heat for cooking. Allow 4-5 whistles. It should make the dal a mush.Put of the heat. After letting the cooker cool open the cooker. Mash the dal with the back of the spoon. It is ok to leave some dal whole. This rough mashing gives the kheer the desired texture.

Now heat a deep vessel. To it add the ghee. Add the dal and give it a stir. Add the jaggery and keep stirring till the jaggery is cooked. Take care the raw smell of the jaggery does not remain. Once that is done fry the nuts and raisin in very little ghee and add to vessel of chal dal and jaggery. Put of the heat and mix in coconut milk. Mix well when still warm. One should not add coconut milk when on heat. It might curdle. Lastly add the cardamon powder made by peeling the cardamom pods and crushing the seeds.

Serve warm. Enjoy the very rustic Malvani kheer.