Sabudana Khichdi

Sabudana Khichdi or Sago Khichdi is a vegetarian indian dish made with sago pearls, tomatoes, potatoes, nuts and minimal spices. It is a popular indian fasting recipe with a melange of textures and spicy & tangy flavors. This dish is naturally gluten-free, easily made vegan (skip the ghee) and perfect for a nutritious meal any time of the day.

If you worry about sticky sabudana khichdi, read on. I am sharing lot of tips & suggestions in this post that will help you perfect it every single time!

From Shivratri, ekadashi & Janamashtami upvas to fasting season of navratri or, sometimes for morning breakfasts, sabudana khichdi was one of the most common things in my grandmother's and mom's kitchen. This khichdi/khichri is very popular in india during fasting and different regions of India make it in different ways.

This recipe that I sharing today is how I have always eaten it. I used to marvel at my grandmother's fluffy, perfect sabudana khichdi every time even though she made a huge quantity for a large joint family. It takes a little bit of patience & practice to master, however trust me, this is one of the most easy recipes to make.

When I made it for the first few times in my new kitchen many years back, I could get the exact same flavors, however I struggled with the texture. A perfect sabudana khicdhi is a marriage of texture and flavors. It has to be khilli- khilli (fluffy) & mazedaar (tasty).

Lot of expensive phone calls to mom and finally I learnt the tips and tricks. There has been no looking back or unpleasant sticky clumpy khichdi since then!

What is Sabudana

Sabudana is an edible starch extracted from the core of tropical palm trees. In English, sabudana is known as sago or tapioca. The starches are collected and then processed to resemble pearls. It comes in many different sizes and the usage depends on what a recipe calls for. For making khichdi, choose medium size sabudana, while for kheer, it is best to choose small sized sabudana that cooks faster & makes a smoother pudding (less texture).

Why we eat sabudana for fast

In India, during religious fasting (vrat), consumption of grains is prohibited. So nuts, vegetables, fruits, milk and dairy and high calorie, dense alternative ingredients like buckwheat (kuttu),amaranth, chestnut flour and sabudana are chosen for feeding the body. These wholesome foods provide much needed nutrition to the body during times of refrain.

Sabudana is one of the most popular during navratri because it has high levels of carbohydrates and loads you with energy that keeps you feeling full longer. When cooked with potatoes and nuts, a small quantity of this khichdi makes you feel super satisfied.

About My Recipe

Since by itself sabudana tastes like nothing, when I make khichdi with it, my goal is to add tons of texture and layers of flavors to it. There are whole peanuts, crispy potato bits and tang of tomatoes and a sweet bite of raisins. However, at the same time, my recipe is very customizable and you can skip or switch ingredients as you wish.

The Khichdi is

• Cooked in ghee. Whether I am making it for fasting or not, I like making sabudana khichdi in ghee, its totally delicious.
• I use tomatoes in my recipe because thats how I grew up eating it. Tomatoes add a wonderful moistness to this khichdi.
• This is a north indian style sabudnana khichdi, with a tempering of cumin, ginger and green chillies. No curry leaves (however you can add if you wish).
• I do not add crushed peanuts.
• Personally, I love sabudana khichdi with more potatoes and crunchy peanuts than the sabudana itself. You can adjust the quantity of both these ingredients as per your liking.

TIPS TO MAKE Perfect NON-STICKY SABUDANA KHICHDI

1. Choose the right size of sabudana. These days sabudana comes in 3-4 sizes and for making khichdi, medium size sabudana is the best. Small or large sized tapioca pearls, both have high chances of getting sticky.
2. Wash the Sabudana Properly. Place sabudana in a colander and place the colander over a large bowl. Now take the entire thing to your sink and position the sabudana under running water. Using your fingers, gentle move around the pearls and wash thoroughly. At first you will see, very milky water collecting in the bowl, keep going, in about 4-6 minutes, the water will be much clearer. This method not only cleans the sabudana but also removes excess starch coating on the pearls.
3. Choose a wide and shallow bowl (preferably glass or stainless steel) for soaking the sabudana. The pearls tend to clump together as they swell when you soak in a deep bowl.
4. 1:1 Sabudana to Water ratio. Place the washed sabudana in a clean bowl and cover with equal amount of water. For ½ cup of sabudana you will need ½ cup of water. Right amount of water will make sure that sabudana isnt mushy.
5. Soaking Time. Soak sabudana overnight or for at least 8-10 hours. Many people say that 4 to 6 hours is enough,  however I always saw my grandmother soaking the sabudana a night before. If not soaked enough, the sabudana ends up gummy. To check, squeeze a pearl of soaked sabudana between your finger and thumb, you should be able to mash it easily. 
6. Strain the soaked sabudana. Simply invert the soaked pearls on a colander and let sit for 5-10 minutes. This additional straining makes sure that any excess water that hasn't been absorbed is discarded.
7. Don't overcook. Once you add sabudana to pan, cook only for few minutes and then turn off the heat.I dont cook it for more 2-3 minutes. The residual heat in the pan is enough. Never ever cook on high heat. Excess heat will make the pearls sticky and gummy.
8. Dont stir a lot after adding sadudana. Overmixing is a no no. Gently mix and then leave them alone. The more you stir, the higher the chances are of getting clumpy.

Few Additional Notes

• While making sabudana khichdi, dont be tempted to use less oil or ghee. It is a starchy ingredient and does need fat (ghee or oil) to taste moist and not dry.
• Since I add tomatoes, I avoid cooking khichdi in cast iron kadai/pan (enameled cast iron is fine). In my opinion, due to acid of the tomatoes, the khichdi tastes a bit metallic.
• Use a heavy pot - this recipe was high starch ingredients like potatoes and sabudana and a pot that conducts heat is always helpful in avoiding khichdi sticking to the bottom.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need. Please adjust the ingredients per what's allowed in your home for vrat ka khana.

• Sabudana/Tapioca Pearls - These are easily available in indian stores.
• Ghee - Makes the khichdi super flavorful. For a vegan version, simply use any cooking oil instead of ghee.
• Diced Potatoes - Potatoes actually make this khichdi very tasty. If you want, you can make without potatoes, however I won't recommend. My grandmother crisped the raw potatoes in ghee, however you can use boiled potatoes too.
• Cumin Seeds - For tempering.
• Ginger - I like to finely chop it. You can grate too if you feel that the ginger is stringy.
• Green Chilies - Serrano or thai. These add wonderful grassy heat to the khichdi.
• Tomatoes - I use chopped roma tomatoes, use any variety that it not too sour. You can use cherry tomatoes too if you like them.
• Peanuts - When I am cooking for fasting, I start with raw peanuts and toast them in ghee. You can use store bough pre roasted peanuts as well. Cashews can be added as well.
• Raisins- Add a wonderful sweet element.
• Salt - For fasting use sendha namak(rock salt). You can add a little black pepper too for flavor.
• Coriander leaves/ Cilantro - Dont skip.
• Lime Juice or Lemon Juice  - Adds the much needed tang.

How To Soak Sabudana

1. Place sabudana in a colander and place the colander over a large bowl. Take the entire thing to your sink and position the sabudana under running water. Using your fingers, gentle move around the pearls and wash thoroughly.
2. At first you will see, very milky water collecting in the bowl, keep going, in about 4-6 minutes, the water will start getting clearer. This method not only cleans the sabudana but also removes excess starch coating the tapioca pearls. 
3. Place the washed sabudana in a bowl and add ¾ cup of water. Cover and let soak overnight or for 8 to 10 hours. To check, squeeze a pearl between your finger and thumb, you should be able to max it quickly and easily, like play dough. 
4. Simply invert the soaked pearls on a colander and let sit for 8-10 minutes. This additional straining makes sure that any excess water that hasn't been absorbed is discarded. Your sabudana is now ready to cook.

How To Make Sabudana Khichdi (Step Pictures)

1. Add ½ tablespoon ghee to a pan and add the peanuts. Toss around such that the peanuts are coated in ghee. Roast them on low medium heat stirring constantly till golden brown. You will smell a nice aroma. Take peanuts out in a plate. 
2. Add remaining remaining ghee to the pan and add the potatoes. Sprinkle a little salt. Let potatoes cook through and crisp up on low heat. Takes about 6-8 minutes for the potatoes to get tender. If you do not want crisp potatoes, cook for 3-5 minutes only. This process is similar to how you would cook potatoes for hash. Tip:- Make sure that the potatoes are fully dry before you add them to the ghee. 
3. Next, add the cumin seeds to the pan, once they start spluttering, add the ginger and green chillies together. Saute for 30 seconds. 
4. Add the tomatoes next. Mix and let the tomatoes cook for 5-6 minutes till they start to soften. We dont want to bhuno the tomatoes and make a masala. Dont dry out the tomatoes too much. 
5. Once the tomatoes soften, add the rinsed sabudana, raisins, peanuts, lemon juice and sprinkle salt. Now we wont cook for long. Mix gently (in a light handed fluffing manner) to combine sabudana with everything. Let sabudana warm through for 2-4 minutes and switch off the stove. When you switch off the stove, the sabudana should start to look transculent. 
6. Take the pan off the stove and mix in the coriander. Let sit for 5-7 minutes for the flavors to get absorbed. Serve warm.

How to Fix Sticky Sabudana Khichdi

Sabudana khicdhi gets sticky mainly due to excess starch and overcooking. Cook it on low heat and dont over cook at all. Do keep in mind that there is little you can do once sabudana khichdi is sticky. Here are a few ways that you can try to fix it.

• Place the khichdi in a new clean pan/kadai and drizzle a tablespoon of ghee. Very gently mix the ghee and them warm on medium heat for a minute or so. The extra ghee can help fluff up the pearls, however be mindful of not adding too much ghee else the taste will be ruined.
• Add crushed peanut powder. Crushed peanut powder will absorb the extra moisture and form a coating on the pearls.
• Transfer the khichdi to a bowl and let it cool down completely. Sometimes, after cooking the pearls separate since the starches get time to rest.
• If nothing works, I suggest mixing the khichdi with boiled mashed potatoes and making pan fried tikkis out of it.

Please keep in mind that the above are suggestions only. There is no sure shot way to fix the khichdi, however you may be able to definitely avoid wastage especially with the last trick.

FAQ

More Indian Fasting Recipes

• Kuttu Ke Pakore
• Vrat Ke Aloo
• Sabudana Kheer
• Lauki Ki Kheer