Sabudana Khichdi /Sago Khichdi

When ever I think of  white transparent pearls called Sago or Sabudana in India, it takes me to my childhood memories .

My parents were working and there was no one at home to pick us after school, so rickshaw fellow used to drop us at our door step.Then we will go to neighbors house to collect our keys handded over to them by our parents and neighbor aunt will ask do you want to eat some thing? But as good kids we would say no, knowing in our heart n mind that our mom would have left something for us in kitchen, so that our small tummies are not hungry and we can wait for mom to come back from work and prepare some hot and yummy food for us. So this short brunch of our's used to have either sweet dalia, sabudana kheer, or fruits.

Over the years, as I was growing for some unknown reasons I stopped liking dalia and sabudana kheer. Also, I had never tasted dalia upma or sabudana khichdi until my destiny took me to Maharashtra where during my short stay we used to get sabudana khidchi or vada on every Thursday in our office cafeteria. From then on wards I started liking this salty version of Sabudana and learned how to prepare it at home.  You can have this khichdi as a breakfast item or as an evening snack. Some people eat it during Vrat/Upvas.

Here is the simple and easy recipe of Sabudana khichdi.

Ingredients:

1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp lemon juice
2 cup sabudana/ sago
2 chopped green chilies
2 tsp chopped fresh coriander
3 tsp roasted and crushed ground nuts.
3-4 tsp oil
few curry leaves(optional)
1 parboiled chopped potato (optional)
Salt to taste

Step by Step guide to prepare Sabudana Khichdi:

• Wash sabudana and soak it in water for 4-5 hours. 
• Drain excess water if you want each and every sabudana pearl separate.
• Dry roast groundnuts until they turn brown and keep it aside,
• Heat oil in a pan , add cumin seeds, roasted peanuts and cook for 1 minute.
• Add  chopped potatoes, green chilies and  stir for another 3-4 minutes.
• Add sabudana, salt and give it a quick toss with rest of the ingredients.
• Cover it with a lid and cook on low medium heat for another 3-4 mins.
• Sabudana white pearl will start changing into transparent pearl ... and this tells khichdi is ready :)
• Add lemon juice and give it a quick stir.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and sabudana khichdi is ready to serve.

Notes:

• To know sabudana is ready to cook or not  press it with your fingertip and it will not disintegrate.easily.
• You can use groundnuts skin after roasting or you can remove it by pressing it between kitchen towel using your hands or rolling pin.
• Adding potato is optional but it gives nice taste.
• Some people garish using grated coconut along with coriander leaves and that taste good as well.