Sabudana/Tapioca Pearls Khichdi

The health benefits of Sabudana (sago) are mainly in the carbohydrates it provides. Sabudana is made from the starch extracted from the pith (center) of the sago palm stems. The commercial production of sago is in the shape of small globules and are called Tapioca Pearls. Sabudana is full of starch or carbohydrates and is great for a quick boost of energy, and hence often served in India for breaking fasts during religious festivals. Sabudana gives you quick energy and is easy to digest and has an overall cooling effect on the system

Recipe :

1 cup Sabudana(sago)/Tapioca Pearls
½ cup peanuts
A handful of cashewnuts
½ cup Green peas
1 Potato – diced
1 tsp Sugar
2 Green Chillies chopped lengthwise
1 red chilly shredded
2 tablespoons ghee
1 onion (medium) sliced
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 Pinch Hing (asafoetida)
¼ cup grated fresh Coconut
2 tablespoons Lemon juice
Salt to taste
Few Coriander leaves
Few Curry Leaves

Wash the Sabudana in water 3-4 times and soak in roughly 1 cup water. Soak overnight or at least for 8- 10 hours. Every 2-3 hours, fluff it up with a fork or chopstick. After 8 hours each grain will fluff up and be separate. Test to check if it has soaked well and if you find any hard center, sprinkle with a little water and soak some more time till  it is all soft-centered and each sabudana/pearl is well shaped. The one cup Sabudana will by now double in volume.

Take a thick-bottomed/non-stick vessel and add ghee. Fry the Cashew nuts and peanuts and remove and keep aside. In the same pan add mustard seeds, red chilly and cumin seeds. When it splutters, add hing, green chillies, curry leaves and onion. Keep stirring till onion is wilted and gets a light brown tinge. Then add potatoes, sprinkle a few drops of water and cook till the potatoes are nearly done. Then add green peas, turmeric powder, salt and sugar and cook for a few minutes. Add the Sabudana and keep frying till it is well coated and the Sabudana Pearls turn translucent. This may take about 5 -8 minutes. Lastly add the fried peanuts, cashewnuts, grated coconut, lemon juice and coriander leaves and a few more curry leaves. Serve hot. Serves 4-5 persons.

Ragi Maani… A Fusion of Ragi and Coconut

To get you all into the holiday season and take a headlong dive into the festive spirit, our Team is going to give you one post a day the full month of December. It will be a month long celebration at Bring On The Chef In You, of sweets and savories only. While those with a sweet-tooth will yell ‘YAY’, we do hear some ‘NAYs” too. Sadly the Nays were drowned by the Yays…
We urge you to browse our ‘Christmas Goodies’ and ‘Christmas Menu’ categories too.
On the menu today is a RAGI MAANI.
Ragi , also known as millet, nachni, sollu, or sattemavu, grows well without irrigation, pesticides or fertilizers, is rich in calcium iron, protein and some rare nutrients such as methionine, digests easily, and its nutrients are highly absorbed.
Recipe :
6-8 tablespoons ghee
1 -1/2 cup ragi soaked in water overnight
2 cups fresh coconut
400 grams jaggery
2 tablespoons flour (maida)
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
20-25 cashewnuts –chopped into pieces
15-20 almonds –chopped
3-4 tablespoons milk
Pinch of salt
3 cups water + 1 cup

Combine fresh coconut, ragi, grated jaggery and water (3 cups) and grind to a fine paste. Use a muslin cloth and drain the mixture into a bowl. Add 1 cup of water to remaining pulp in the muslin cloth and grind again and drain this also into the bowl. Discard the pulp remaining.

In a heavy bottomed non-stick pan, add the ghee and sauté the almonds and cashews and add the strained ragi-coconut and jaggery mixture. Keep on stirring all the time till the it starts bubbling and starts thickening up. Add the cardamom powder and stir it in. Combine the flour with 4 tablespoons of milk and make it into a smooth paste and add to the pan. Now you have to reduce the heat and keep stirring the mixture in the pan for nearly an hour till it gets a ribbon like texture.

Pour the mixture into a greased plated which has been smeared with ghee and allow to set. With a sharp knife cut into squares. Garnish with additional cashewnuts.