Sabudana Khichdi Recipe | Easy Navratri Recipes

Sabudana Khichdi or Sago Khichdi is one of the popular recipes of India for the fast/ vrat like Navratri, Ekadashi or Shivratri in which people avoid taking any grains or cereals.

These vrat food are found to be more rich in fiber, proteins, iron, calcium than wheat. Moreover, these are gluten free. They keep us full for longer and are easy on stomach, which is ideal for any fast.

Humble and well known Maharashtrian breakfast dish, Sabudana Khichdi can be had as a breakfast or a light dinner even on non fasting days with fresh curd. If you wish to make this sabudana khichdi on a fast day, I got you covered. This post gives you detailed step by step recipe of the same.

Why Would You Love This Recipe?

• Quick and easy recipe
• A Not-Soggy Sabudana Khichdi
• Gluten Free
• Can be easily made Vegan
• Tomato Sabudana Khichdi
• Bursting in Flavors of Ghee and Lemon Juice
• Energy Rich and easy to digest
• Healthy Khichdi for a fasting day.
• The Best Sabudana Khichdi Ever!

Ingredients

• Sabudana: Sago or Tapoica pearls are the star ingredient of this dish. I have procured these from a local store. You may buy any brand locally available to you.
• Ghee: I use Mother Dairy Ghee (Cow's) for most of my recipes. You may choose any brand. This sabudana khichdi tastes best when made in ghee. For people looking for vegan option, may use any vegetable oil or coconut oil.
• Tomato: We don't avoid tomatoes in Navratri. You may follow your own custom and skip tomatoes if they are not eaten during Navratri fast.
• Green Chilies: Since I avoid adding Red Chilly powder in the food made for fast, I prefer using fresh green chilies.
• Potato: Source of energy and flavor, potatoes add depth to this Khichdi and keep you energize for the day.
• Lemon Juice: A tangy touch to this fasting recipe makes it ideal for a refreshing snack.
• Peanuts: Crunchy peanuts roasted in ghee when added to sabudana khichdi, add perfect crispiness and thickness to this recipe. I have roasted peanuts and then grounded them before using. You may use whole or powdered.
• Black pepper and Sendha Salt: I use only Sendha Salt (ROck salt for Vrat) and black pepper only during the fast. Though one may also use Garam masala, Coriander powder and Amchur. Just make sure that these spices are clean and not mixed with onion, garlic or any other flour.
• Cumin Seeds: Jeera added to Khichdi makes an aromatic kitchen and this khichdi becomes so tempting.
• Coriander leaves: Top your warm and crispy sabudana khichdi with fresh coriander leaves for the vibrant color. You may also add Curry Leaves (kadi Patta).

Variations

• Sabudana Kheer: If you are on fast, you may also have sabudana kheer. Made slowly on simmer and dunked in milk, sabudana kheer is a traditional Sweet recipe.
• Sabudana Vada: Another popular sabudana recipe is of the Vada or Pakoda. You may use flours for the fast or besan to make this cripsy vada.

About Navratri Fast- Do's and Don't

While writing about Navratri fast, several things come to my mind and how do I really divide it into do's and dont's is the really tough.

Most of us already are aware of this. Avoiding Garlic, onion, non veg, alcohol. Eating simple veg food once a day with no grains and sendha Namak. Fruits, milk, Lassi to energise you. Above all, follow your family belief while observing any fast.

Recipe Insights

This is fairly easy recipe and doesn't require lot of cooking skills. During the Navratri, we consume the following food items:

1. Potatoes
2. Kaddu
3. Tomatoes
4. Lemons
5. Sweet Potato
6. Desi Ghee
7. Cumin Seeds
8. Black pepper
9. Green Chillies
10. Coriander Powder
11. Garm Masala
12. Amchur Powder
13. Sendha Namak
14. Non-grains like Kuttu, Samak, Singhara etc
15. Adrak (Ginger)
16. Eliachi( Cardamom)
17. Fruits, Milk, Lassi, Curd.
18. Peanuts

This is my family list. Please skip those items that are avoided by your family. You may recommend ones I have missed here.

Nutrition in Sabudana/ Sago

Sabudana or sago are white pearls rich in carbohydrates, calcium, magnesium, iron and fibre. Its considered to be a great food for bones. Since its rich in starch, its generally not recommended for diabetic and weight-loss diets. Having it in moderation does no harm.

In fact, its believed to be a food with low glycemic index which is a key factor in controlling sugar levels. Since its rich in sugars, its an ideal choice for a person on fast.

Expert Tips

• Soaking sabudana is a crucial step. When we soak it for few hours/ overnight, it helps to make a non-soggy Khichdi. If you are a fan of crispy Sabudana Khichdi, you must soak it for at least 30 min. Depending upon the variety, it might take more soaking time.
• I have seen soaking in warm water helps it double up sooner. Do make a check of pressing it and if its soft and mushy, go ahead or else soak it for longer.
• Don't add too much water or else the khichdi would be soggy. Add little more than the quantity of Sabudana.

FAQ

Detailed Recipe

1. Gather all the ingredients. Chop Potatoes in thin slices.
2. Soak Sabudana for at least half an hour. Depending upon quality of sabudana, the soaking time varies. You may check that when it gets soft on pressing by finger. Once its soft, you may use it. For some quality, it might need to be soaked overnight. If in hurry, try soaking it in warm water.

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3. In the meantime, you may fry peanuts in desi ghee in Kadai and after roasting for one min, cool it off and grind to a coarse mixture.

4. Using the above Kadai, fry potatoes. It takes around 5 -10 min and depends on quantity of ghee. I have taken around 1 tablespoon desi ghee and fried on low flame. Before taking out, make the flame full so that potatoes dont absorb ghee.

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5. In the same Kadai, add Jeera, Tomatoes and green chilies, coriander leaves.

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6. I always add little salt with tomatoes. This helps in quick cooking without sticking to the pan. Once tomatoes leave ghee, add Black pepper and lemon juice.

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7. While tomatoes are to be done, you may check sabudana for being soft. If it easily is crushed by finger and thumb, sieve it and squeeze it. Add peanut powder to it. Mix well.

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8. Add this fried potatoes and sabudana peanut mix to the tomatoes sauteed.

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9. Mix well and if need be, add little water and more salt. The water helps sabudana become soft and it absorbs all the moisture from the mixture.

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10. The simple yet delicious Sabudana Khichdi is ready!! Enjoy with Curd!

Significance of Navratri in my View

Satvik, Shakti, Divine are the words that come to my mind with the thought of Navdurga. Merely keeping a fast has no significance if we are not honest in our feelings, thoughts and actions.

This day takes me back to the last Navratri of this year when we faced the first lockdown. Somewhere deep down most of us could feel that this year would mostly be observed in lockdown version. Whether like it or not, this is New Us. We won't be looking for Kanjaks this year and would just make a bhog for Mata Rani and the little girls of the family.

I don't take it in a negative way. I remember my mother-in-law telling us to avoid inviting Kanjaks if they come in groups as their focus is not on prasad rather on things and they waste the food we offer. Instead just consider our daughter only. As like other things, I saw her vision years later.

I wonder the darkness that surrounds Corona manages to throw light over aspects that are terribly ignored. Should we not focus on avoiding food wastage specially when we treat it as ultimate prasad and it's denial is a denial from the basic belief itself?

Should we not muster up the courage to lit a diya, fold hands and believe that God listens for sure rather to show off by offering the food, things to needy when we are really not sure about the needs?

A special Nine day puja ... what about other days?
Do we remember to do the right thing on all other days? Are we giving benefit of doubt to someone before criticising him? Are we perception based readers to understand why someone might have done a thing before jumping to conclusions?

Are you willing to let go of something that has encompassed your thoughts with darkness?

If you wish to celebrate Navratri, celebrate the conquest of the inner demons and lead a peaceful way to happiness.

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