Sabudana khichdi Recipe(साबूदाना खिचड़ी) or sago khichdi is also a food which is mainly eaten on fasting days, and is hugely popular in northern part of India. Having said that nothing stops one to have this as snack on any day. One may call this as sabudana pilaf too. This khichdi / pilaf made from small sago pearls is part of quintessential cuisine if we speak of Navratri food items.
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If you ever faced problem of sticky, chewy or guely sabudana khichdi, then you are at right place. I will suggest ways, how to NOT make your khichdi that way, rather have each pearl stand out.
What is sabudana khichdi
Sabudana is Tapioca or sago and khichdi is medley of sabudana along with potato, peanuts and spices. It is typically prepared during fasting days by Hindus, mostly during Navratri days. Sabudana khichdi is hugely popular in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujrat and Rajasthan states of India. It is also referred as sabudana usal in some western parts of India.
Nutritional value
Sago is rich in carbohydrate and has very little protein, vitamins, or minerals. Addition of peanuts to sabudana khichadi adds to the protein content, making it a more balanced meal.
Sabudana is refined plant starch, extracted from cassava roots. There are two type of sago in market medium and large seeds. By the nature of these having energy boosting derivatives, it is an ideal candidate for diet when fasting and is massively used by Hindu community.
This khichdi can be consumed anytime of the year, however at my home it used to be made mostly during Navratri and as a kid I used to wait for Navratri to get a chance to eat it to heart’s content. Making sabudana khichdi is fairly an easy task, however one the common challenge with it is that this khichdi turns sticky or loopy. I have tried to address this concern in my “Pro Tips” section.
In my recipe I have not used curry leaves, however, you can add curry leaves too (Its definitely added in the maharashtrian version of sabudana khichdi).
Method to make Sabudana khichdi
- Wash sabudana and soak it with very little water for 2-3 hours.
- Dry roast peanuts and then ground them coarsely. Chop boil potatoes, green chilli and coriander.
- Now heat oil in a wok over low flame and then add cumin seed to it.
- Now add boiled potatoes and green chill and sauté them for one minute.
- Add salt, pepper and sugar first and then sabudana and roasted grind peanut. Mix them properly and cover it with lid for 5 minutes.
- Now add lemon juice and mix, follow this by garnishing of chopped coriander. Sago khichdi is ready to serve.
Pro Tips
- Rinse, rinse and rinse! Washing sabudana pearls is absolutely important. Intend is to wash away the starch, this starch is what makes the khichdi sticky. Wash away 3-4 times to get rid of this starch.
- Saoking – You must soak sabudana in water. Make sure sabudana is submerged in water to just the level of sabudana. Keeping it soaked for far too long will make the sabudana soft and that will stick when cooking. Do not soak in too much of water!
- Cook for not more than 5 mins. Excess cooking will make the sago pearls go mushy.
- Use a wide mouth pan for soaking if possible.
- Cook on a non-stick pan and avoid cast iron pan. You do not want sabudana to stick to the pan.
- Add lemon juice once cooked and use fork to break away any lumps.
This Sabudana khichdi is
- Packed with energy
- Fully vegan and gluten-free
- Suitable to be consumed during hindu fast, such as ekadashi, shivratri, navratri, etc
- Full of flavours
Serving suggestion
Serve this sabudana khichdi, when its hot. Serve it as appetiser or part of main meal.
Recipe Card
Sabudana Khichdi Recipe
Equipment
- Pan
Ingredients
- 1 Cup sabudana seeds / tapioca seeds
- 2 Boiled Potatoes Medium size
- 2 Tbsp Peanuts Roasted
- 1/2 Tsp Rock Salt As per taste
- 1/4 Tsp Black pepper powder
- 1/2 Tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 Tsp Lemon Juice
- 1 Tsp Sugar
- 10 Grams Fresh Coriander Leaves For garnishing
Instructions
- Wash sabudana and soak it with very little water for 2-3 hours.
- Dry roast peanuts and then ground them coarsely. Chop boil potatoes, green chilli and coriander.
- Now heat oil in a wok over low flame and then add cumin seed to it.
- Now add boiled potatoes and green chill and sauté them for one minute.
- Add salt, pepper and sugar first and then sabudana and roasted grind peanut. Mix them properly and cover it with lid for 5 minutes.
- Now add lemon juice and mix, follow this by garnishing of chopped coriander. Sago khichdi is ready to serve.
Notes
- Soaking of sabudana is little tricky. Always soak it with very little amount of water after washing. If water content would be high, sabudana will be mushy and khichdi would be sticky. Please never soak it for more than 3 hours.