Sabudana khichdi is a light, chewy Maharashtrian dish made with soaked tapioca pearls, roasted peanuts, potato and lemon. The key to fluffy, non-sticky khichdi is soaking the sabudana just until each pearl softens.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sabudana (tapioca pearls)
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed
- 1 medium potato, boiled and diced
- 2 tablespoons ghee or oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 green chilli and a few curry leaves
- Salt, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Fresh coriander to finish
Method
- Rinse sabudana until the water runs mostly clear. Cover with just enough water and soak for 4–6 hours. A pearl should mash easily between your fingers.
- Heat ghee. Add cumin, chilli and curry leaves, then add potato and a pinch of salt.
- Stir in drained sabudana, crushed peanuts, sugar and remaining salt. Cook on low for 4–5 minutes until the pearls turn translucent; do not cover for long.
- Turn off the heat. Add lemon juice and coriander, fluff with a fork and serve warm.
Tips and storage
Too much soaking water makes the dish sticky, so drain thoroughly. Sabudana khichdi is best fresh; refrigerate leftovers for 1 day and reheat gently with a teaspoon of water.
Why is my sabudana khichdi sticky?
The pearls were either over-soaked or cooked on high heat. Use a shallow soak and cook only until translucent.
More Indian regional recipes
For more regional vegetarian cooking, explore our Indian regional recipes, pair this with Poha for a simple breakfast, or try the South Indian Sambar. For another comforting one-pot dish, see the Pav Bhaji recipe.