Sabudana or Sago ki Khichdi is an integral part of Malwa Cuisine, although it has its roots in Maharashtra. Maharashtrian Cuisine has had tremendous influence on Malwa Cuisine because of the Holkar regime in Indore.
I remember whenever we would go to the old city market , having Sabudana Khichdi would be my top priority. The cart vendors would serve you piping hot Khichdi in newspaper squares with a generous squeeze of lemon . No one actually cared then that food should not be served in newspaper. He would not forget to keep a few spicy potato chips on the side.
In a good Sabudana Khichdi ,each pearl should be separate. The secret to that is the amount of water it is soaked in. Roasted peanuts add a wonderful nutty aroma and much needed crunch.
As an improvisation, now I soak Sabudana in 3 parts water and one part yogurt, in winter. During summers, the yogurt added may become too sour overnight, so it's best to avoid it. Since , I soak it overnight, each pearl of Sabudana is infused with tartness from yogurt.
Sugar is used to sweeten it slightly but I prefer to use jaggery powder.
I just love this tangy and slightly sweet , crunchy preparation. Ideal for breakfast or evening snacks. In most parts of India, it is a preferred food during fasts. If using during fasts replace regular salt with rock salt.
Ingredients:
Potato .boiled 1cup - small cubes
Sabudana( Sago). 1 1/2 cup
Oil. 3 tbsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Green chilly. 1 no. Finely chopped
Red chilly pd. 1 1/2 tsp
Jaggery Powder 1 1/2 tbsp
Lemon juice. 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp
Peanuts. 3/4 cup crushed
Salt To taste
Water. 1 cup
Coriander leaves. For garnish
Method :
Wash sabudana 2-3 times in running water and then soak it overnight in 1 cup water.
Dry roast peanuts. Once they cool down , remove skin and crush them.
Using a fork , fluff the sabudana.
Very lightly with a fork mix salt , red chilly pd and jaggery powder in it. Keep it aside.
Now heat oil in a non stick pan .
Add cumin seeds. Once they turn golden, add green chilly and potato.
Cook till potato cubes are golden on all sides.
Add crushed peanuts. Mix.
Now add spiced sabudana .
Cook it be on medium high heat for a couple of minutes till the rawness disappears. Keep stirring all the time.
Remove from fire. Mix lemon juice.
Taste and adjust salt.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve immediately.
Note:
You can roast and crush peanuts in advance. In fact I always have them in my pantry. They easily stay fresh for 2-3 months when stored in an airtight container.
Sabudana should be soaked for 6- 8 hours.
I prefer to soak it overnite as I usually make it for breakfast.
