Sabudana khichdi –is a popular breakfast recipe from Maharastra where tapioca peals are cooked with roasted peanuts and potatoes and served with a squeeze of lemon juice.
A few years back , I had my share of making lumpy and sticky Sabudana khichdi but not anymore. All these disasters have made me to relook at the process of making it and now it turns out amazing each time I make it.
What is Sabudana/Sago?
Sabudana known as Tapioca Pearls or Sago in English is the starch extracted from tapioca roots. These pearls are major source of carbohydrates and fibres for which it is preferred as the perfect food during Fasting.
Ingredients that goes into making Sabudana Khichdi?
- Bloomed Tapioca Pearls ( Sabudana): It is very important to understand this step where I rinse the sabudana placing it in a colander under cold tap water until clear water appears. This process helps in getting rid of the excess starch in it and thus prevents sticking. Then I soak the rinsed sabudana in water (1:1 ratio) overnight or for minimum 3 to 4 hours for the sabudana to bloom perfectly.
- Small cubes of Potatoes to add bite to the dish.
- Raw Peanuts: to give a texture to the dish. All I do is dry roast the peanuts and remove the outer skin and pound 3/4 th of it to mix with the bloomed sabudana.
- Cumin Seeds (jeera): for tempering of the Khichdi.
- Fresh Green Chili: to enhance the flavor .
- Curry Leaves and fresh Coriander Leaves: Curry leaves is added during tempering and coriander leaves for garnishing.
- Lemon Juice: to bring the dish together.
- Ghee/Oil: Ghee is optional, but I cook this dish with ghee on festive occasions and rest of the Oil is used.
Tips to make fluffy Sabudana Khichdi :
The most important thing to understand here is the ratio of water to soak the sabudana. The ratio is always one part of water to one part of sabudana.
So in whichever cup measure of sabudana you are taking, measure water in the same cup to soak it.
Donot get tempted to add more water. Right amount of water gives you the perfect separated bloomed up tapioca pearls in the morning.
If you think its still moist, spread it on a kitchen tower to soak the extra water if it has any. So its important to understand this part.
Don’t use a lot of oil to cook sabudana .
Try to use a wide non-stick skillet/pan to cook the sabudana which will helps to keep the sabudana separated.
To make a fluffy khichdi, do not over cook the khichdi ( I cook for 2 to 3 minutes on medium flame)else it will result in a sticky and lumpy khichdi.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Sabudana ,before soaking
- 1 cup water, after rinsing
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 8 to 10 curry leaves
- 2 green chillies ,finely chopped
- 2 medium sized potatoes ,peeled and cubed
- 1/4 cup roughly crushed roasted peanuts
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- Chopped fresh coriander leaves ,for garnishing
Instructions
- Place Sabudana in a colander .Wash Sabudana under cold tap water until clear water appears. This takes off most of the starch and prevents sticking.
- In a big wide bowl soak sabudana with water for 5-6 hours , preferably overnight.
- In the morning, Sabudana would have fluffed up after soaking . Smash one or two sabudana between your fingers to check if soaked properly or not.
- Drain off excess water if any before cooking by spreading it on a kitchen towel.
- Heat oil to a heavy bottom non stick pan .Add in the cumin seeds.
- Add in the curry leaves , chopped chilies and cook for 30 to 40 sec.
- Add in the cubed potatoes and cook on a low flame until tender , flipping it occasionally.
- In the meantime add in salt , crushed roasted peanuts to the sabudana bowl and mix well.
- Now add the coated sabudana to the pan , mix everything well and Keep stirring occasionally for max 3 minutes on medium flame until the sabudana are a bit translucent and well coated.
- Add the lemon juice , some whole roasted peanuts and chopped coriander leaves .
- Serve warm with with some masala chai by side.
Note:
To instantly cook this dish, Wash the sabudana well , soak in a hot case, add warm water and close the lid and keep it for one hour. After one hour, your sabudana will be perfectly bloomed.
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