Sabudana Layer Chaat in Cups (Vrat-Friendly Party Chaat)
Layered sabudana chaat in clear cups with peanut-lemon pearls, spiced potato, hung curd, chutneys, and pomegranate crunch. Prep components ahead; assemble before serving.
Equipment
- Clear cups or dessert glasses (6 to 8 oz each)
- Small spoons for layering
Ingredients
Sabudana layer
- 1 cup sabudana tapioca pearls
- 2 tbsp peanut oil or ghee
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp green chilies adjust for kids; finely chopped
- ½ cup roasted peanuts coarsely crushed
- 1 tsp sugar optional, for balance
- 1 tsp sendha namak or regular salt to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp cilantro finely chopped
- ¼ tsp turmeric optional, for a second colored batch
Spiced potato layer
- 2 medium potatoes about 2 cups; boiled, peeled, and diced small
- 1 tbsp peanut oil or ghee
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp sendha namak or regular salt
- ½ tsp roasted cumin powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp red chili powder optional
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp cilantro finely chopped
Hung curd layer
- 1½ cups thick hung curd or Greek yogurt drained 30 minutes
- ½ tsp roasted cumin powder
- ¼ tsp black salt kala namak; or to taste
- Pinch of sendha namak or regular salt
Chutneys and fresh toppings
- ¼ cup mint-coriander chutney
- ¼ cup date-tamarind chutney
- ½ cup cucumber finely diced
- ¼ cup pomegranate arils
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts for garnish
- ¼ cup thin sev optional, non-fasting
- ¼ cup onion optional, non-fasting; finely chopped
- ¼ cup tomato optional, non-fasting; deseeded and finely chopped
Instructions
Soak and prep sabudana
- Rinse sabudana until water runs clear. Soak 3 to 4 hours in water just covering the pearls.
- Drain, spread on a towel 15 to 20 minutes, and test one pearl: soft center, not hard or mushy.
- Heat oil or ghee in a wide pan. Add cumin seeds; let them splutter.
- Add green chilies and drained sabudana. Stir 1 minute.
- Add crushed peanuts, sugar (if using), salt, pepper, lemon juice, and cilantro. Cook on medium heat, stirring gently, until pearls look translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not overcook.
- Transfer to a bowl and cool. For a second color, cook ¼ of the batch in a separate pan with turmeric and a pinch of salt, 1 to 2 minutes.
Make spiced potato
- Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, then diced boiled potato.
- Add salt, roasted cumin, pepper, and chili powder if using. Toss 3 to 4 minutes until edges look lightly golden.
- Add lemon juice and cilantro. Cool completely.
Prepare hung curd
- Whisk hung curd with roasted cumin and black salt until thick and smooth. Chill until assembly.
Assemble cups (same day)
- Place 1 tablespoon hung curd in the bottom of each cup.
- Add 2 to 3 tablespoons spiced potato.
- Dot mint-coriander chutney and date-tamarind chutney. Add cucumber (and onion/tomato if not fasting).
- Spoon sabudana generously on top. Mix plain and turmeric batches for color if you made both.
- Garnish with peanuts, pomegranate, and sev if using. Serve immediately or within 2 hours.
Notes
Gluey sabudana fix: If pearls clump in the pan, spread on a plate, fluff with a fork, and cool 10 minutes before layering. Dry soaked pearls longer on a towel next time.
Hung curd swap: Thick coconut yogurt whisked with cumin and lemon works for dairy-free cups; use a bit less chutney so it does not thin out.
Sweet potato: Replace half the potato with mashed boiled sweet potato for a softer, slightly sweeter layer.
Kid-friendly: Skip green chili in sabudana and use a pinch of cumin only in the potato layer.
Storage: Store sabudana and potato separately in the fridge up to 2 days. Assembled cups are best eaten fresh.
Cup sizes: Juice glasses work for small portions; wider dessert cups are easier to layer.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!