Vella Payar (Sweet cowpeas)

Ingredients

1. Cowpeas or Alasandulu: 1 cup 
2. Jaggery : 3/4 cup
3. Cardamom : 2 (Crush into powder)
4. Freshly grated coconut: 1/4th cup

Method

• Wash and soak the peas in enough water overnight.
• Pressure cook the peas and it should be cooked very soft (Otherwise they will harden when put in the jaggery syrup)
  Melt the jaggery in one cup of water, strain to remove all the impurities.
• Pour the strained syrup along with the cardomom powder in a wide, thick bottomed pan and heat to make a soft syrup.
• Add the coconut gratings and cooked peas.
• Keep stirring until all the moisture is absorbed. Remove from heat.

Offer this as Nevedyam, a special sweet made especially during Navarathri or Dasara...