Aayi’s Recipes Konkan/Konkani food blog, Indian culinary treasures

Sabudana or tapioca or pearl sago khichdi is not very famous among Konkanis. The only Konkani dish with sabudana, which I can recall, is sabudana paays. Though many people prepare this dish these days, this cannot be called as a Konkani dish. I ate it first time at my friend’s house in Belgaum. My friend’s ajji (grandmother) used to make the best khichdi during the fasting days. I simply used to love the dish. I asked her the recipe for it, though she gave me exact instructions, I had never tried making it until I went to Bangalore.

In Bangalore, I didn’t find this dish anywhere or better yet, I did not explicitly search for it. But when I found a sabudana packet in ‘Food World’ supermarket, I thought I will have to give that a try. I recalled her saying, sabudana has to be soaked in water for overnight. So I soaked it for overnight and the next day I found white water instead of sabudana. So I concluded that there was something wrong with sabudana!!!.

After that unsuccessful attempt, I started soaking sabudana for just 30mins or so before making this dish. But somehow I thought it may not be completely right. Then last week Aruna sent me this recipe. The method of preparation was quite similar to ajji’s. Then again she sent me one more mail, stressing on the soaking part. She said ‘Sabudana khichdi prepared by using this procedure tastes great even if it is taken in lunch box. It does not become rubbery’. Still it didn’t flash to my mind.

I thought of giving it a try one more time, so I soaked sabudana in the night. All the time I was thinking of giving proper instructions about soaking part, but something in my mind told me I am doing it wrong. Then at once it striked me. Aruna had told me to soak it for 30mins, then drain the water from it and leave it for 8 hours!!!. I guess thats what ajji had told me, but I had missed the draining part!!!. So next day morning, I found the nice looking, soft sabudana, and the khichdi came out superb. Thanks a lot Aruna, for those instructions. I will read the recipes more carefully hereafter.

Here is Aruna’s recipe for sabudana Khichdi. She said, ‘In Maharashtra it is served with sweet dahi in restaurants. I have never seen or eaten it with any chutney or sev. At my place i like it plain’.

I added one red chilli in seasoning while making this dish, but it is not required.

Ingredients:
Sabudana 1 cup
Potatoes (boiled) 2
Roasted peanuts (remove the skin) 1/2 cup
Oil 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Cumin seeds (jeera) 1 tsp
Green chillies 2
Curry leaves 1 strand
Sugar 1 tea spn
Coconut (grated) 2 tbl spns
Lemon juice 1 tbl spn (or as per taste)
Salt

Method:
Wash one cup of sabudana in water. Soak sabudana in water and keep the same for 30 min (not more) After that drain the remaining water and keep it for 8 hours.
Cut the roasted peanuts into small peices. This can be done in a mixer but the powder should not be fine, peanut pieces should be felt while eating the khichidi.
Cut the boiled potatoes into small cubes.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard, when it starts popping, add the jeera, green chillies and curry leaves.
Add the potatoes, salt, sugar and mix well .
Add the sabudana, mix well  and cook on low flame for 5mins.
Now add the peanut powder and the coconut. Cook for 1min.
Serve with lemon or squeeze in lemon juice.

Do not add or sprinkle water in this dish at any time.

Serves : 3
Preparation time : 15mins