Annapurna: Sabudana Khichadi / Spicy Tapioca / Fasting (Vrat) Recipe

Wednesday 22 February 2017

Sabudana Khichadi / Spicy Tapioca / Fasting (Vrat) Recipe

Sabudana Khichadi is a delicious Indian snacks made from soaked sago (pearl tapioca ). It is a preferred food during fasts (vrat) like Ekadashi, Navratri and Mahashivratri. This typical Maharashtrian dish is also popular in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh and is served as street food in cities like Pune , Mumbai, Indore and Nagpur.

Sabudana Khichadi is a stir fry of soaked sago pearls with crushed peanuts , boiled potato chunks and spices. This gluten free dish is mildly spiced, slightly sweet and tangy in taste. Hot sabudana khichadi tastes great with a chilled bowl of sweetened yogurt and some Lemon Pickle. It can be served as a breakfast or an evening snacks and you do not have to keep a fast to enjoy this lip smacking dish .

Though the recipe is very simple , proper soaking of sago pearls is the step which can make a big difference in the final outcome of the dish. If the Sago pearls get over soaked, the khichadi becomes gooey and messy. To prevent this, use good quality sago and follow the instructions for soaking, given on the packet. Some varieties call for overnight soaking, in which after washing the sago, it is soaked in water which is just enough to coat the pearls. after 6-8 hours all the water is soaked up and the sago pearls get puffed up . The one which i used , called for soaking the sago pearls in water(enough to completely immerse the pearls) for 15 - 20 minutes, (after which the sago pearls swelled). Then draining all the water and allowing the sago pearls to remain on the colander for 3 hours. Be it any method, the idea is to get puffed up sago pearls, which are non sticky, with each pearl separate and which is not wet yet properly soaked. For unknown reasons, if you find the sago pearls are sticky , you can spread them on a muslin cloth and allow them to dry before stir frying them.

Preparation Time: 4 hours

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Servings : 2-3

Ingredients: 1 cup = 200 ml

1/2 cup dry sago / tapioca pearls / Sabudana
1 large potato, boiled and roughly chopped
3 tablespoon coarsely ground roasted peanuts
2 tablespoon clarified butter / ghee
2 green chilies, chopped
2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon juice of fresh lemon
2-3 sprigs of fresh coriander
Rock Salt/ Sendha Namak to taste

Method:

Take dry sago pearls in a bowl , wash them twice and soak them as per the instructions given on the packet. I have soaked them in 2 cup water for 20 minutes. Strained them through a colander and allowed to sit there for approx 4 hours.

2. After 4 hours, the sago pearls have puffed up , are soft and non sticky .

3. In a non-stick wok, heat ghee on medium flame. add cumin seeds and let them crackle.

4. Add green chilies and fry them for about a minute on low flame. Then add the roughly chopped boiled potato and stir fry for a while.

5. To this add the soaked sago pearls , followed by sugar , salt and roasted crushed peanuts.

6. Toss everything very well. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes on low to medium flame without covering the wok. Keep stirring occasionally.

7. Lastly add the finely chopped fresh coriander leaves and juice of lemon . Stir well and put off the flame.

8. Serve the sabudana khichadi hot with sweetened yogurt and Lemon Pickle.

Notes:

Do not replace ghee with oil , if you are looking for the authentic taste .
Adding sugar and lemon juice gives the spicy khichadi a slight sweet and tangy kick, so do not skip it.
Coarsely grind or grush the roasted peanuts to get a nutty crunch in every bite.
Adjust the spice levels as per your choice.
Do not cover cook the khichadi as it may turn sticky.
Use good quality sago pearls and soak them as per the instructions provided on the packet.
For unknown reasons, if you find the sago pearls are sticky after soaking , you can spread them on a muslin cloth and allow them to dry before stir frying them.

For more fasting food (food for vrat) recipes, do check my posts on