Sabudana Khichdi Recipe- Perfect Weekend Breakfast

(You can also read this blog/recipe in हिन्दी, ગુજરાતી and मराठी)

When we talk about khichdi, the image of illness with a plate of dal and rice comes to our mind. But does khichdi has to be that boring and unpleasant thing? I don’t think so. What made me change my mind? It’s this tangy, spicy, and finger-licking good Sabudana Khichdi recipe. 

I know how kids at home, even youngsters, make weird faces whenever they get that ordinary khichdi being served at the dining table. Yes, the health factor is important but do we always have to compromise the taste? Not this time.

Here’s a great recipe that any beginner can cook. So, ready to see how amazing this is? Dig in, read on, and cook the best-ever Sabudana Khichdi for your loved ones.  

What is Sabudana?

Sabudana, also known as Sago, is a small pearl-like structure that has a spongy center. These are not naturally formed pearls extracted from plants. Rather, these are formed into this shape using palm stems or Pith. The material from these piths is extracted, grounded into powder, and then given these beautiful pearl shapes. 

Sabudana is known widely as Sago, Ragai, and Saksak. If we talk about its consumption, a big portion of what various countries produce is consumed by many South Eastern countries. Of course, India is one of them. 

Why Sabudana khichdi?

One thing that makes this recipe outstanding is you can have it even while fasting. It may not be suitable for every fast but goes perfectly for Navratri celebrations. These have some pure elements that most of the families have on Navratri fasting. Hence, perfect food for you if you are a Navratri food lover. 

Apart from being a staple food for Navratri, Sabudana Khichdi is perfect to have for breakfast. No matter if you are on diet or in a rush to make something great for your health. Why is that? Because it has all the refreshing elements that keep you full for longer. 

Sabudana is a great substitute for your gluten items. It works amazingly as a binding agent if you grind it and use it in your recipes. Not just for Khidchi, Sabudana can be used for many other recipes be it Tikki, Papad, pudding, kheer, and much more. 

There are more health benefits attached to it. Down there you will find more about it. But that is later. Let’s jump right into the recipe.

Serving- 4 people

Time- 30 minutes + 4 hours to soak

Difficulty level- beginner

Type- Vegetarian

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup Sabudana
2. 1/4th cup peanuts
3. 1 medium-size potato
4. 2 tablespoons of ghee
5. 4 green chili
6. ½ inch ginger
7. 1 tablespoon jeera
8. 8 to 10 Curry leaves
9. 1 teaspoon black pepper
10.  Fresh coriander
11. Salt to taste
12. Lemon juice

Preparation

• You need to begin with soaking Sabudana. This is a very important step because Sabudana needs moisture to cook perfectly. 
• Wash Sabudana 2-3 times into runny water and soak it for about 4 to 5 hours. You will notice how it will double in size. 

• If you are using fresh peanuts like I am, you need to cook it previously. 
• For that, light the stove and on a medium flame, toss the peanuts until turn a little brown. You will get that savory and smoky fragrance of peanuts as you toss them. 

• Once you get those crunchy peanuts, crush them coarsely. 
• For vegetables, you need finely chopped green chili and ginger. 
• Now. comes potatoes, you must dice them into equal cubes. Make sure they are of equal sizes and are not roughly diced. 

That’s all the preparation you need. Now, let’s move on with the procedure. Read on. 

Method

• In a pan, add about 2 tablespoons of ghee. Using ghee is the best thing for Sabudana. 

• Once it melts, it’s time to add jeera and curry leaves. 
• As both jeera and curry leaves popped up (not burnt), it’s time to add chilies and ginger. 

• Cook it for a few seconds and add potatoes. Toss that up and cover up the lid. 

• Mix it in between but you want potatoes to turn all golden brown. 

• Got those nice golden brown potatoes? Time to add your roughly crushed peanuts. 

• Mix it up and add salt and pepper to it. Mix it and cook for about a few seconds more. 
• The next step is to add your soaked sabudana. Now, as you add them, keep your flame on medium. 

• As Sabudana starts cooking, it will turn into a jelly-like structure. 
• Now, at this step, some people like to add sugar just to balance the spices. But if you don’t want it, like me, it’s your choice. 

• Cover up the lid, turn your flame to the lowest and cook for about 5 minutes. Of course, you would need to mix in between. 
• The Sabudana will turn into translucent pearls. This is where you need to add freshly chopped coriander leaves. 
• For this amount of sabudana, you can add about 2 lemon juices. Or 2 tablespoons lemon juice. 

• There’s your Sabudana Khichdi. All ready to serve piping hot. 

You can serve Sabudana Khichdi with salad and curd. These are like the best complementary side dishes. 

Things to keep in mind:

• Soaking sabudana is a very important step. Why is that? Because sabudana needs to be prepared before cooking otherwise it will turn into hard shells with a soft exterior and hard interior. Moreover, as you will taste it, it will be all muddy in taste. 
• If you are on a fast, you must double-check the things you can consume and things you cannot. For instance, in some cases, people don’t eat coriander, ginger, and even lemon. So, if you are one of those people who can’t consume all or any of these, you can skip it. 
• Skip overcooking. This step usually happens while cooking potatoes because there’s no moisture and the ginger, curry leaves, and ginger might burn. So, keep your pan on a medium flame. 
• Do not oversoak sabudana. Around 4 to 5 hours are enough to soak them if you soak them about like a whole day, you will see that it will start losing its texture and will break into very softballs. If you cook that, the Khidchi will be super sticky and you don’t want that. 

Some super benefits of Sabudana

As aforementioned, we were gonna look at the benefits of the sabudana. So, here it is. It’s not just delicious jelly pearls but magic balls that come with amazing benefits. What are they?

1. It’s gluten-free

Sabudana is all about starch that has many minerals you can consume. It does not have gluten in it. So, if you are allergic or have some intolerance, this is something that you can consume. Prevent bloating, unexpected weight loss, diarrhea, fatigue, and have a healthy day. 

2. Amazing source of energy

Sabudana is high in calories and carbohydrates (good ones) and a combination of both is fabulous to boost your energy. Therefore, you can have it in the morning and stay energetic for the entire day. 

If you have a doubt about this, this study will prove it all. Here experts proved how the use of Tapioca pearls and soy improved performance during cycling exercises. 

3. Easy to digest

Dealing with an upset stomach, constipation, or ingestion? No problem anymore because sabudana is here to stay. Why is that? Because it is known for its high fiber qualities that keep your digestion activities healthy. 

4. Best to reduce blood pressure

There’s a great amount of potassium. For instance, in a cup full of sabudana, there’s like 16.7 gms of potassium. A short-term potassium supplement is the best thing to lower your high blood pressure. So, if you are dealing with issues related to high blood pressure, you must have sabudana because it eases the stress between blood vessels. 

5. Strengthens your bones

Sabudana has an impressive amount of calcium which is best for your bones. This is the reason why most parents prefer serving dishes made with sabudana to children. Besides, sabudana is also great for people who are dealing with issues like osteoporosis. 

Conclusion

Now, that you know everything about sabudana, it’s a great time to get to the kitchen and start preparing the best-ever Sabudana recipe. This weekend, surprise your family with this amazing and light recipe. 

Hope you like this super easy and mouthwatering Sabudana Khichdi recipe. Stay tuned for more amazing recipes.