'Sago Khichdi' or 'Sabudana Khichdi' is a pilaf made with Tapioca pearls. If you have not heard of Sago, Sabudana, or Tapioca pearls, they are extracted from Tapioca roots and processed to form small pearls by passing through a sieve under pressure and then dried. Sago Pearls are rich in starch and naturally gluten-free. Sago gives a sudden boost of energy. It is a popular item during fasting as it keeps the energy levels high and keeps you full.
If you are wondering if Sago and Sabudana /Tapioca pearls are the same, read on. Sago is made from the pith of an array of tropical palm trees whereas Sabudana is made from Tapioca which is starch from cassava. They both are similar in the way they look opaque like white pearls and turn transparent on boiling in water. You can use them interchangeably in sago recipes.
Why you will love this?
- A great snack during religious fasting that will keep you full.
- The taste is exceptional and very addictive, you will be unable to resist the temptation of having more helpings.
- The combined flavors of roasted peanuts, boiled potatoes, and sago go well together.
- Needs very few simple ingredients.
What you will need?
- Sago pearls - Wash and soak in water for about four hours and drain.
- Mashed potatoes and some cut into small pieces.
- Cumin for tempering ;
- Green chilies: the spice in this dish is from the green chilies.
- Peanuts - Use some while tempering, roast and powder the rest.
- Lemon juice, chopped coriander leaves and curry leaves
How to make Sago Khichdi (Tapioca Pearls Pilaf)?
Sago Khichdi is a favorite dish of many folks and is quite easy to make as well. One of the main hurdles in this recipe is to get the right consistency of the cooked sago pearls, all separated without sticking to each other. It is quite common for first-timers to end up with a sticky mass if they do not follow the cooking instructions properly. Once you learn the tricks, it is in fact very straightforward to make.
The first thing is to get good quality Sago from the store. It's better not to use something that has been lying around in your pantry for a long time. Sometimes the old products that sit out tend to have lots of starch and can get sticky on cooking. Soak the sago pearls after thoroughly washing them in just about enough water for about 4 hours. Later drain into a colander. After the soaking, squeezing a pearl between your fingers should mush easily and should be soft.
Dry roast the peanuts, cool, de-skin, grind, and powder them. Mix the powdered peanuts with the sago pearls that are completely drained. In a pan heat up oil, add cumin seeds, peanuts, green chilies, potatoes, curry leaves, lime juice, sugar, and salt. Add the sago with powdered peanuts mixed and cook on low flame. Cook covered and keep stirring from time to time till they turn translucent. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Sago Khichdi - Tapioca Pearls Pilaf
Ingredients
- 2 cups Tapioca Pearls or sago soaked for about 4 hours
- 1 large Potato chopped into small pieces
- 3-4 Green Chilies finely chopped
- 1 cup Peanuts roasted, de-skinned and powdered
- 2 tbsp Peanuts regular with skin on
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 tsp Sugar optional
- 1 tsp Salt (or to taste)
- 1 cup coriander leaves Chopped
- 1 stalk Curry leaves
- 1 tbsp Lime Juice
Instructions
- Wash and soak the Sago for about four hours in just about enough water.
- After soaking is done ,drain it completely into a colander .Ensure the pearls can be compressed between your fingers easily.
- Dry roast the peanuts, de-skin and powder it in a mixer.
- Mix the powdered peanuts and Sago and keep aside.
- In a cooking pan heat some oil.
- Add cumin seeds, peanuts, green chilies and sautee well.
- Add potatoes and fry them well so they are half-cooked .Alternately you can cook it in the microwave and add it to save time.
- Add the sago with powdered peanuts and mix well.
- Add Sugar (if using) and Salt .
- Close the pan with a lid and cook on low flame .Keep stirring now and then to ensure the Sago pearls don't stick to each other .
- When they turn transparent they are cooked through. It may take about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and curry leaves.
Nutrition
Hope you enjoyed reading about this recipe and will give it a try. Have a wonderful day!
Pin Me!
This looks so delicious, and so interesting for me, as I've only tried Tapioca in desserts.
I hope to give it a try soon! 😉
Thank you Ronit, the savory version of this dish is delicious indeed. Hope you like it .
I love this khichdi a lot. In North India it is very popular during fasting days!! Each daana separated, yours look perfect!!
Great to hear that Deeksha, Yes very popular fasting food item indeed. Thanks for the comments!
Oh I've only had tapioca as a dessert as a child. never as a savory dish. Honestly, my memories of it weren't that favorable lol. But like you said, it's all in the cooking prep!
This savory version with potatoes and peanuts tastes very different from the sweetened one. Hope you get to try it some time !
I have never heard of Tapioca pearls, but this recipe looks really good! I like that they are gluten free.
Thank you so much! Yes it is gluten free and that makes it popular with some folks.
I've never tried this dish but seems really interesting and delicious! I saved the recipe to try it another time 🙂
Hope you love it as well. Thank you for the comments and stopping by!
Thank you for sharing this, it looks delicious. Do you know if this can be eaten in the keto diet?
Thank you for the comments, I looked up for this information and seems like not an option for Keto diet as it contains starch and high in simple carbs.
This looks so tasty! I haven't seen this dish before but I would love to taste it. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
It is my pleasure to share. Thanks for the wonderful comment!
Ooo this is anew one for me and it looks so yummy too. I am going to have to give this a go at the weekend x
Thank you so much , hope you enjoy it!
I love the sound of this dish. I am sure it would be tasty . Great with salad.
looks good and very creative to me! I would love to give it a try and I will next week!
This looks good! I haven't really tried this but I love tapioca pearls so this is worth the shot. Thank you for sharing the recipe.