My first tryst with Sabudana Khichdi was somewhere in the year 2018 and I have been a devout fan ever since. Sabudana or Sago are tapioca pearls that are soaked and used to make a variety of dishes like khichdi, kheer, vada etc. Its versatility is actually comparable to rice, which is perhaps why it is such a beloved vrat ingredient. Since it is neither a grain, nor a cereal, the popularity of Sabudana shoots up during Navratri, Mahashivratri, Janmashtami etc.
When I prepared Sabudana khichdi for Navratri this time it was so perfect I even shared some with my neighbours, but when I made it again very recently, the khichdi turned out to be a mushy, sticky mess. And mind you, a perfect sabudana khichdi is not supposed to be either of those things. Like in perfect biryani, every tapioca pearl in Sabudana Khichdi should be separate. About the flavouring, sabudana khichdi is renowned for its mild spices, but nothing about the khichdi is bland. Every spice has a place. Everyday ingredients like green chillies, potatoes and peanuts add bulk to the khichdi and make it texturally rich.
Here are a few tips and tricks with which you can make perfect Sabudana Khichdi, every time.
- There are many kinds of sabudana available in the market, try to use the medium-sized one. They have the right amount of starch to ensure the khichdi does not come out too sticky.
- Make sure you rinse the sabudana well at least two-three times. Then soak it in water for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Make sure you do not soak sabudana in a lot of water, that will make the tapioca mushy. One way to determine that your tapioca balls are soaked well is that you take a pearl between your thumb and your finger and smash it. If you are able to do it easily, it is well soaked, if not, it needs more water. Add 2-3 spoons more and soak again.
- You can use boiled potatoes or raw potatoes in the khichdi, as per your choice. Boiled would be softer, if you like it bitey, use raw.
- Ghee lends a lovely flavour to khichdi, so if you can cook your khichdi in ghee.
- Add cumin to ghee once it is nice and hot, followed by chopped green chillies. Using chopped chillies is a good idea because it is a quick recipe. Slit chillies are used in recipes that take time because they impart flavour slowly.
- Once you see the sizzle, throw in the potatoes and toss them until they are slightly brown, followed by your peanuts, coriander and sabudana.
- Make sure you cook the sabudana on low flame and cook it till the pearls turn translucent. Do not overcook it.
Sounds easy? Why don’t you try it yourself? Here is a delicious and super easy recipe you can try.
