Sabudana Khichdi

- Submitted by Dahlia

(Javarisi Upma, Chowwary Uppuma, Sago Salad, Sabudana Kichadi)

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Today I would like to share my favorite dish that my mother is an expert at – Sabudana Kichadi (in Hindi) or Javvarisi Upma (in Tamil) or Sago Upma. It is one of the few dishes which was unanimously loved by all of us in my family. During my 9^th grade, I had taken it for lunch to school and my best friend Anu liked it very much. She would ask her mom to try it too but somehow she did not get the complete satiated feeling. Years later when we were both pregnant at the same and she came to see me, she instructed my mother to make sabudana upma for her as that was her major craving at that time. Even today when we talk of yester year memories, sabudana upma takes a pivotal role.

Sago or sabudana is a food which is full of energy due to its rich carbohydrate content. It is extracted from the spongy center of sago palm stems in the form of starch. In India, sago pearl is also made from the tapioca root where the white colored opaque pearls are formed by processing the roots of tapioca. The traditional Indian medicine uses sago in combination with rice to cool the body. It is the best herbal remedy to treat many stomach related ailments. In many Indian households, Sabudana is also used as a weaning food for infants as it is easily digestible and non irritating food. It is also free from artificial preservatives and colors and hence it is safe to use as a baby food. More importantly, if a child is suffering from diarrhea, consumption of sabudana has a significant contribution in reducing it.

Sabudana in the form of kichadi or upma is light for digestion. It is primarily used during the festivals and to those who are under religious fasting. Hence it is a famous ‘vrat ka khana’. As I am writing, my taste buds are craving for this and I have already soaked sabudana. How about you guys??

Recipe For Sabudana Khichdi

Preparation Time : 2-4 hours (including soaking time)
Cooking Time : 30 minutes
Serves : 2

Ingredients

• Sabudhana (Javarisi, sago) - 1 cup
• Roasted Peanuts - 1/2 cup (coarsely powdered)
• Potato - 1 (cut into small pieces) - You can also use 1/4 cup of other chopped vegetables like carrot, capsicum , green peas etc
• Onion - 1/2 (sliced)
• Salt - to taste
• Oil/Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - 6
• Green chillies - 3 (finely chopped)
• Lemon - 1/2
• Cilantro - handful

Method

1. Wash the sago and soak it overnight (or at least 2 hours). Before using the sago, wash and drain for 2-3 times to get rid of the extra starch.
2. Heat oil in a pan, temper mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Add chopped onions, green chillies and curry leaves and toss them for a few minutes.
3. Next add the potato pieces (and/or other vegetables of you choice). Cover and cook till it is completely cooked.
4. You can add a pinch of turmeric powder if you like the kichadi to have a nice yellow color. This is optional.
5. Next reduce the heat to low and add the sago. Also add required salt and mix everything, Cook it covered for about 3 minutes. No water is needed. The water that the sago must have absorbed during soaking is sufficient to cook it.
6. Add the peanut powder and mix everything. Increase the heat and stir fry for another 2 minutes.
7. Finally add chopped cilantro. Squeeze the lemon juice, mix once and switch off.

Tips

• Coconut lovers can add handful of grated coconut at the end instead of cilantro.
• Wash the sabudana thoroughly in running water to get rid of the white starchy powder in the grains. This will make it less sticky.
• Sabudana is very heat sensitive. If you try to saute the soaked pearls in hot oil, it will turn into sticky, gluey mass which is impossible to separate. So the oil should be in low heated when the sabudana is put. 

Serving Sabudhana Kichadi

• Serve a portion of this upma with a cup of tea. It tastes divine.

More Upma & Kichadi Recipes

Lapsi Kitchdi	Quinoa Pilaf	Semiya Kichadi	Grits/Rava Kichadi
See more ⟩⟩

Comment by Eve Jolie
Hey....
Thankew 4 sch a tasty dish.....
I liv in san francisco n ws searching jz 4 fun bt i found it relli interesting......
i wnt 2 ask 1 thing is it compulsary at the end 2 add coconut or cilantro??

Reply :-
Not really needed. Do try it.

Comment by Aasha karthik
Sabudhana! I tried it.... It came out very well... Easy and yummy dish it is!
Thankyou for the wonderful recipe!!!

Reply :-
Glad that you liked it.

Comment by sree nidhi
should potatoes be boiled before adding to it

Reply :-
No, I usually add raw potatoes, cook it and then add the sabudhana. But you can also add boiled potatoes.

Comment by Maha Mani
Hai
Its a nice website.
I tried more recipes from your blog.It tastes very good.My husband likes so much.Can you upload some sandwich recipes?
Thanks for your good work.
MahaMani

Reply :-
Thank you.Here are some sandwich recipes (http://simpleindianrecipes.com/sandwich.aspx).

Comment by agnelo dsouza
good quick recipes thanks

Reply:-
You are welcome!

Comment by gurvinder aur
hi, i have seen the receipe of sabudana kichdi but i am not able to know the amt of water to be added while cooking kichadi ,is it just like we cook rice plz help me out.
thanks.

Reply :-
You don't have to add any water. The sabudhana must have absorbed water while soaking which is enough for cooking. If you feel the kichadi is getting dry, just sprinkle little water.

Comment by Ramya Sampath
Thank u very much

Reply :-
U r welcome Ramya!!

Comment by RITA RODRIGUES on 17 August 2009 17:48PM
Hi, thks for such simple Receipie, Can I use small sabudhana's, if yes then what is the qty of water to be added, becoz I had once tried and did not come out nice, pls let me know. Thks once again for such good receipies in your website.

Reply :-
Hi rita, If you soak the sabudhana well, it would have absorbed enough water. In that case just a few sprinkles would be enough. Keep on low flame, cover and cook for few minutes. Then fluff it. I think it should be perfect.

Comment by Vijay on Sunday, May 18, 2008 9:59:18 AM
superb! i appreciate you . thanx ..keep it up

Reply :-
Thanks

Comment by Heltin on Thu 1/03/08 4:29 AM
Samaiyal Super
Hai dolls Neenga ithu ellam samaiyal pantringala.  
 
Reply :-
Thank You. Senghu pathuttu sollu ma.