Vegetable Platter: Fasting/Upavas Dishes

Microwave Sabudana Khichdi + {Video}

Sabudana Khichdi

Sabudana Khichdi !! Yet another dish that reminds me of Bombay & Tara Aunty in particular. Throughout my schooling years, I used to take Marathi Tuition from Tara Aunty, a very lovely Maharashtrian lady who lived in the same neighbourhood. She was the one who introduced me to this dish & also came home and taught my mother how to make it because that was an era where there were no food blogs or youtube videos :)

We've all loved it at home since then & it makes an appearance on our breakfast table quite often.

This dish has a higher amount of carbohydrates due to both Potatoes & Sabudana. Peanuts add a bit of protein making it a hearty & filling meal which is why it is mainly eaten during Upavas/fasting

How to Soak Sabudana?

Soaking Sabudana is a slightly tricky affair. There are different types of sabudana available in the market. Some require about 5 hours of soaking while some require only about 2-3 hours of soaking & some require no soaking at all.

Before proceeding to make Sabudana Khichdi, always test soaking a small batch.

Add Sabudana into a colander & wash it under running water to remove excess starch. Transfer it into a wide, shallow bowl. add water to barely cover the sabudana. The water level should be about 1/4 inch above sabudana. Depending on the variety of sabudana used, let it soak. The sabudana would have absorbed all the water & would have fluffed up & it should be completely dry.

Take a sabudana pearl & press it between your thumb & forefinger. If it gets smashed, it is ready to cook, else it may need additional soaking time.

Before proceeding to cook, Transfer it into a colander again to strain any excess water. Proceed to make khichdi.

You Will Need:

1 cup Sabudana/Tapioca Pearls
2 medium sized potatoes
1/2 cup Peanuts
2 tablespoon grated coconut - optional
3-4 Green Chilies
4-5 curry leaves
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Salt as per taste
Cooking oil
Fresh Coriander for garnish
Juice of half a lime -optional

How To:

Pressure cook Potatoes, Peel the skin & roughly mash them & keep it aside.

Dry roast peanuts until they turn crisp & coarsely crush them in a mortar & a pestle or in a mixer. Set aside

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat cooking oil & splutter cumin seeds. Add green chilies & curry leaves & sauté for 20 seconds. Add Soaked & drained Sabudana & mix well. Add some salt.

Keep Sautéing Sabudana at regular intervals on a moderately low flame until it loses its white colour & turns translucent. Add some more cooking oil to prevent it from turning dry.

Since Sabudana has a higher starch content, it tends to stick to the pan, keep stirring frequently to avoid this. You can also use a non stick pan instead

Add crushed peanuts & potatoes & mix well. Add some more salt if needed. Sauté for another 3-4 minutes. Add fresh grated coconut if using & give it a good mix & let it stand on low flame for a couple of minutes. Turn off the flame. Add lime juice if using & give it a final mix

Garnish with fresh coriander & serve.This does not taste good when it is cold. Always serve warm

Sabudana Khichdi is usually eaten with yogurt on the side, but I like it without yogurt