Sabudana Khichdi (Low Oil)
Classic farali sabudana khichdi with soft tapioca pearls, potato, and roasted peanuts, cooked with about 1 tablespoon of oil for a lighter Navratri breakfast.
Equipment
- Wide nonstick or heavy-bottomed pan kadhai with a lid
- Mixing bowls for rinsing and soaking
- Coarse mortar or food processor or a rolling pin in a bag, for crushing peanuts
Ingredients
For the sabudana base
- 1 cup sabudana tapioca pearls / sago
- 3/4-1 cup water for soaking, just enough to cover
- 1/3 cup roasted peanuts coarsely crushed
- 1 medium potato peeled and diced small, about 3/4 to 1 cup
- 3/4-1 teaspoon rock salt sendha namak, or to taste; use regular salt on non-fasting days
- 1 teaspoon sugar optional but traditional
- 1-1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
For the low-oil tadka
- 1 tablespoon ghee or peanut oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1-2 green chilies slit or finely chopped; skip if your vrat rules exclude them
- 6-8 curry leaves optional; use only if your fasting tradition allows them
To serve
- crushed peanuts extra, for garnish
- lemon wedges
- plain yogurt optional
Instructions
Soak the sabudana
- Place sabudana in a bowl. Rinse under cold water 3 to 4 times, rubbing gently between your palms, until the water runs mostly clear. Drain well.
- Add just enough cold water to barely cover the pearls (about 3/4 to 1 cup). Cover and soak 4 to 6 hours, or overnight in the fridge.
- Check a pearl: it should press flat with no hard white center. Drain any leftover water. The pearls should feel soft and separate, not wet and clumped.
Coat with peanut powder
- Add the coarsely crushed roasted peanuts to the drained sabudana. Toss until every pearl looks lightly coated. Set aside. This step replaces extra oil later.
Cook the khichdi
- Heat 1 tbsp ghee or peanut oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds. When they crackle and smell toasty, add green chilies and curry leaves if using. Stir 10 to 15 seconds.
- Add the diced potato. Stir to coat. Cover and cook on medium-low 6 to 8 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the potato is just tender (a fork slides in with a little resistance). If the pan looks dry, sprinkle 1 tsp water rather than adding more oil.
- Turn the heat to low. Add the peanut-coated sabudana. Fold gently so the potato and pearls mix. Do not mash or press.
- Cover and cook on low 5 to 7 minutes. Open once to fold gently. Pearls turn from opaque white to translucent when done. If a few stay chalky in the center, cover 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Sprinkle sendha namak, sugar if using, and lemon juice. Fold once. Taste and adjust salt or lemon. Turn off the heat. Finish with cilantro and extra crushed peanuts.
- Serve hot with yogurt and lemon on the side.
Notes
Vrat vs everyday: Fasting batches use sendha namak and skip onion and garlic. Confirm chili, curry leaf, and hing rules with your family. This recipe does not need hing.
Low-oil contract: Keep fat at about 1 tbsp. If the pan sticks, your soak water was too high or the heat was too high. Fix those first before pouring more oil.
Jain / no-potato path: Swap potato for diced raw banana (kachha kela) or water chestnut (singhara). Cook until just tender, then add sabudana the same way.
Non-fasting weekday: Use regular salt. You can add mustard seeds with the cumin and a handful of finely chopped onion with the potato if those aromatics are welcome.
Make-ahead: Soak and drain sabudana the night before; refrigerate covered. Crush peanuts ahead. Day-of cook time is about 15 to 20 minutes.
Storage: Best eaten fresh. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge up to 1 day. Reheat gently with a splash of water and a tiny knob of ghee; the texture will be firmer than when first cooked.
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