Sabudana Recipes: As soon as the season of Navratri or any Indian festival that involves fasting comes around, sabudana, tapioca or sago, begins to make its presence felt across the Indian subcontinent. Sabudana are tiny translucent droplet-like balls, extracted from tapioca roots, and are commonly found in various regional Indian cuisines. During the festival of Navratri, the use of sabudana increases since it is permissible to consume while fasting. Besides being a festive-favourite, sabudana is a versatile ingredient that can be cooked in myriad ways to create lip-smacking dishes such as tikkis, khichdi, kheer and even kebabs.
Also known as 'kappa' in Kerala and 'javvaris' in Tamil Nadu, sabudana is a South American native and is said to be introduced in India by the Portuguese. It was traditionally obtained by extracting and filtering the starch/milk from the tapioca roots that were then shaped into globules, roasted and finally sundried. The process remains more or less the same even today but through modern machinery.
It is one non-cereal food source that is considered to be healthy and packed with benefits, which makes it the most popular ingredient during fasting time. Rich in good carbs, calcium and fibre, sabudana is also said to be a good source of protein, iron and vitamin K.
Since sabudana is starchy in nature, it tends to be sticky while cooking. This is one of the main reasons why it is commonly used along with milk to prepare delectable desserts. However, with certain easy tips and tricks you can prepare mouth-watering dishes. Sabudana pearls must be soaked in water for a few hours until they are separated and moist before cooking. Many home chefs also swear by soaking it in curd for about two hours that prevents it from becoming sticky, and results in crisp, light granules.
Now, that you know how versatile and healthy sabudana is, let's unravel the best of sabudana recipes:
Here Are 5 Best Sabudana Recipes To Prepare At Home:
1. Kesari Sabudana Khichdi
Soaked sabudana mixed with roasted peanuts, lemon juice, salt and sugar and further cooked with potatoes, curry leaves, ginger, chilies and saffron, this delicious recipe is easy to prepare when you wish to have something light in lunch. Made with rock salt (or sendha namak), this sabudana recipe is a right choice to prepare during fasting as well.
2. Khasta Sabudana Ki Tikki
We all are guilty of indulging in our cravings for deep-fried snacks that are usually made with all-purpose flour, which isn't really healthy for us. What if we tell you that we have a tikka recipe that you can enjoy without feeling guilty? Made with sabudana, potatoes, cashews along with spices and chillies, this sabudana recipe can be enjoyed with a hot cup of evening tea.
3. Sabudana Seekh Kebab
Give those mouth-watering traditional kebabs a healthy twist! This recipe has mashed potatoes mixed with sabudana along with roasted groundnut powder, curd, red chili, coriander leaves, rajgira flour, salt and a pinch of sugar. Grilled on skewers to perfection, this kebab recipe is great to serve at a dinner party.
4. Tapioca Dumplings
Who can ever resist mouth-watering dumplings stuffed with minced chicken, garlic, peppercorns, coriander, fish sauce, minced shallots and peanuts? We can definitely not! You will love it more when it comes with a healthier alternative, wrapped in a sabudana case and steamed to perfection!
(Also Read: 5 Delicious Sabudana (Tapioca) Dishes from South India You Would Love to Devour)
5. Sabudana Kheer
No meal is ever complete without a delightful dessert, and what's better than having a bowl of delightful, luscious kheer?! This super easy and quick kheer recipe made with soaked sabudana, cooked with milk, sugar, cardamom and saffron is a perfect Indian dessert to cook for all occasions, and the best part is that you can also include it in your fasting meals during festive seasons.
These sabudana recipes are no less than a feast when prepared at home; so go on and try them out and let us know which one you found the best in the comment section.