Sabudana Khichdi Recipe

Indian fast food

Sabudana Khichdi is a delicious dish cooked with tapioca pearls or sago pearls, potatoes, green chilies, and peanuts. It's naturally vegan and gluten-free.

This khichdi recipe with sabudana is a popular breakfast/snack in Maharashtrian and Gujarati cuisine of India and is mainly consumed during vrat or fasting days. It's extremely flavorful to taste.

What is sabudana

It is considered a staple ingredient for those who keep fast/vrat/upvas during Navratri, Janmashtami, or any other time of the year.

Since people are not allowed to eat dishes containing wheat, they opt for sabudana. Plus it also keeps you full for longer and gives you instant energy which one needs if fasting.

Very few know that it actually is an edible starch extracted from the cassava plant. It is a complete form of starch and is a pure form of carbs. 

Since they are white and look like tiny pearls, they are also called tapioca pearls or sago pearls. The raw ones are tiny, white, and round in shape.

With sabudana, you can make sweet and savory recipes. Some examples are - sabudana kheer, vada, and thalipeeth (flatbread).

Sabudana has a chewy and starchy texture that pairs very well with crunchy peanuts and soft potatoes when made into a khichdi.

While the majority considered it to be fasting food, people like me make it on any day. It's so delicious that I don't feel like limiting it to only certain days in the calendar.

While it is a pretty straightforward recipe, a lot of people find it a bit complicated to get the recipe right. Thankfully, I can help you here.

My neighbor aunty, who was Maharashtrian, taught me and my mom how to make this khichdi with sabudana. We still follow her tips and tricks to nail this recipe every time.

Read my notes below to get all these tips. It's a fool-proof recipe and I have been making it this way for years!

Why make this

Sabudana - Also known as sago pearls or tapioca pearls, you can easily find them in Indian grocery stores or on Amazon.

Potatoes - They add a lot of flavor to this vegan snack. You can either add them raw after they are peeled and cut into cubes or boil them first separately and then add them to the khichdi.

Peanuts - Use unsalted roasted peanuts in this recipe. If you don't find roasted peanuts, get the raw ones and dry roast them in a pan for 2-3 minutes.

You can add them whole or crush them a bit. I like to mix it up.

Spices, herbs, and seasoning - cumin seeds, green chilies, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and sugar are all the other ingredients that you will need to make this vegan recipe with sabudana.

1. First, rinse the sabudana under running water till it runs clear. This will get rid of the starch. Then soak it in water for at least 7-8 hours. I usually soak it overnight. The trick here is to level the water and sabudana. Chef Tip - Do not soak the sabudana in more water than required as it tends to get very soggy. Basically the level of water should be at the same level as sabudana. This was an important tip given by my neighbor aunty which I follow even today. In the morning, drain out the water if any. there shouldn't be any water left though. It should be soft to touch and mushy when pressed.
2. In oil, temper the cumin seeds and once they crackle, add half of the chopped cilantro and green chillies. Fry for a minute.
3. Then add the chopped potatoes and salt. Saute till the potatoes are done.
4. Now add the roasted peanuts powder, and sugar. Mix well.
5. Add the soaked puffed up sabudana. Mix it all well. Do not overcook or overmix the khichdi at this point. Just cook it for a minute or two.
6. Check seasoning and add salt if needed. Garnish with the remaining chopped cilantro and lemon juice and mix.

Serving suggestions 🍽 

This recipe with sabudana tastes best when served warm/hot. While I prefer to enjoy it without any accompaniment, you can have it with a bowl of yogurt, coconut chutney, or green chutney.

Sabudana khichri is very filling. No wonder it's consumed during fasting days as it keeps one full for a long time.

Serve it as an evening snack or for breakfast. You can also pack it in lunchboxes. We also have it for lunch or dinner.

Top recipe tips 💭

Soaking sabudana is crucial. Do not skip that step. Consuming them raw will lead to indigestion. So always soak and cook sabudana before eating.

Some also like to add curry leaves and shredded coconut while tempering. You can also add onion and tomato while cooking it. I have never tried it though.

You can also skip adding potatoes if you want. Some like to add half a teaspoon of turmeric to their khichdi. It changes the color and adds a different flavor to the dish.

Ginger and ghee can also be added to the sabudana khichdi recipe. Be mindful of what ingredients you add if making it for fasting/vrat.

Recipe FAQs 📖