Sabudana Khichdi is a delicious and nutritious recipe cooked with Tapioca pearls/Sago, potatoes, roasted peanuts especially during the fasting season of Navratri or Maha Shivaratri in India
Rinse the sabudana well underwater until you get rid of the excess starch and drain all the water.Then soak the rinsed sabudana in 2 cups of water for 2-3 hours (time for perfectly soaked sabudana may vary based on the quality of sabudana. After soaking you will find sabudana double in size and you can easily mash between your fingers. Drain the excess water using a colander. Keep aside.
Dry roast peanuts in a pan on medium heat or air fryer till are nicely roasted. Once they cool down, half them or lightly coarse them in a blender. Keep aside.
2. Preparing the Sabudana Khichdi
Heat oil in a Kadai. Once it’s hot add cumin (jeera) seeds and let them splutter.Next, add diced potatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes till they are tender and nicely cooked (You may also use pre-boiled, peeled, and cubed potatoes to it and saute for 2 minutes).
Now add chopped green chilies, ginger (optional), curry leaves, and cook for another minute.
Add the drained sabudana, roasted crushed peanuts, salt, sugar and mix until well combined. Cover with a lid and cook for a few minutes till the pearls look translucent, stir in between. Don't overcook sabudana, otherwise, it would turn mushy and lumpy.Next, turn off the gas and add lemon juice, chopped coriander leaves and toss well to combine.
Serve the hot Sabudana khichdi on a plate with yogurt.
Video
Notes
Tips to make Perfect Sabudana Khichri
Soaking Sabudana: Soaking the sabudana for at least 2-3 hours is important. Mash between your fingers to check if they have soaked well. They should be easily mashable.
Drain the water: Drain the water completely from the soaked sabudana using a colander before cooking.
Good Quality: Use good quality sabudana to get a nonsticky texture.
Cook in a heavy-bottom pan: Cook sabudana khichri in a heavy-bottom or non-stick pan to prevent sabudana from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Avoid over-stirring: Do not stir too much while cooking sabudana khichdi, as they may stick to each other, and become mushy.
Roasting Peanuts: You can roast peanuts in a pan, microwave, or air fryer. I love roasting peanuts in Air Fryer. Crush them after they have cooled.
Variations
Fasting: If you make this recipe for Navratri (fast), replace regular salt with sendha namak (rock salt).
Veggies: You may also use vegetables like green beans, carrots, and peas to make them healthier.
Ginger: I used ginger, you can skip it if you don't prefer it.
Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.