Sabudana Kheer - Indian Tapioca Pudding

Sabudana Kheer is a sweet indian pudding made with sago pearls, milk and a sweetener (like condensed milk, jaggery or sugar). It is very popular on indian festivals like Navratri or Maha Shivratri. It is a fasting friendly kheer recipe that takes under 30 minutes (active time) to prepare.

The beauty of any kind of kheer is in slow cooking. I love cooking kheer in the traditional way on the stove top and I am including the instructions for the same.

Sabudana Kheer holds a significant place in Indian cuisine especially as a customary offering during religious ceremonies and festivals. My grandma used to make sabudana kheer on days when she observed fasting. She lovingly served the kheer to us in bowls, topping it with a generous helpings of raisins and almonds sautéed in ghee. One cherished memory of my favorite fasting meal from those days includes kuttu ki poori, vrat wale aloo, and a delightful sweet ending with sabudana kheer.

Whenever I make sabudana khichdi during navratri, sometimes, I set aside some soaked sabudana and make this kheer after a few days. Sago kheer does not require much effort in cooking since soaked sago cooks pretty fast.

This luscious kheer is as comforting as a rice pudding, but smoother & creamier, and has almost a custard-like texture, due to the tapioca starch that lends it a silky smooth consistency.

As the sabudana pearls simmer in milk, they naturally thicken it, gradually transforming into a pleasantly soft and chewy translucency. The aroma and flavors of kheer are enriched by the mild scent of the green cardamom or saffron.

What Is Sabudana

Sabudana is a starch derived from the inner part of tropical palm trees. In English, it is referred to as sago or tapioca. These starches are gathered and then processed to take on the appearance of pearls.

Sabudana is available in various sizes in the market. Base your selection depending on the kind of dish you are preparing. When preparing sabudana khichdi, medium-sized sabudana is a good choice, whereas for kheer, I recommend using smaller-sized sabudana, as they cook more quickly and result in a smoother pudding with a finer texture.

Ingredients

• Sabudana - Or Sago Pearls
• Whole Milk - Full fat milk is the best for making kheer.
• Ghee- For roasting nuts and raisins, it adds a wonderful nutty taste.
• Sweetener - You could choose condensed milk, jaggery or sugar.
• Flavors - I choose any one of saffron, green cardamom powder, rose water or kewda water depending on how I am feeling that day.

How To Make Sabudana Kheer (Stove Top Method)

Soak Sabudana

1. Place sago pearls in a colander and place the colander over a large bowl. Wash the sabudana under running water 1-2 times. Using your fingers, gentle move around the pearls and wash thoroughly. At first you will see, very milky water collecting in the bowl, keep going, after 4-5 washes, the water will start getting clearer. This method not only cleans the sabudana but also removes excess starch coating the pearls.
2. Drain the water. Place sabudana in a bowl and add ½ cup of clean water. Set aside for 6-10 hours (overnight is the best). The pearls will plump up as they soak. The time of soaking depends on quality of your sabudana, it can take upto 10 hours to become soft. Make sure that after soaking, the tapioca pearls are soft and can easily be squeezed between thumb and finger. Drain the water(if any) after soaking. Set aside. 

Prepare Kheer

3. In a heavy bottomed pot, melt the ghee on low. Add the nuts to it and saute for about 20-25 seconds till you smell the aroma(image 2). Take out in a bowl and set aside. 
4. In the same pot, add the cardamom pods and slowly pour the milk. Set the stove on medium and let milk come to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let the milk reduce slightly for 8-10 minutes. Stir intermittently to make sure that the milk is not sticking to the bottom. (images 3 & 4)
5. Once the milk is reduced , add the soaked sago (image 4).After adding sago make sure to stir continously for a minute so that the sabudana doesnt clump up.
6. Cook on low heat for next 10-15 minutes stirring intermitently till you see that sago pearls have started to become translucent and are cooked through(image 5). The kheer will be thickish and have a velvety silk like consistency. Don't make the kheer too thick because it will thicken as it cools. 
7. When the kheer is thick enough (thicken it more than you think, since condensed milk will thin it out),mix in the condensed milk/ jaggery (image 7). Read below for jaggery instructions. Simmer for another 5 mintues if you added condensed milk. Mix in the nuts. 
8. Serve the kheer warm or cold (if desired). It will thicken quite a bit as it cool down.

Sabudana Kheer With Jaggery

Once the sabubana has cooked fully, take off the cooking from the stove. Wait for a minute and then add the chopped jaggery (gud) while the kheer is still hot. Mix well and the jaggery will melt in the residual heat (image 8). Don't cook the kheer after adding jaggery else it will curdle.

Recipe Tips

• Always use soaked sabudana for making kheer. This allows the pearls to swell and become soft while they cook in milk. Drain any excess water before using soaked sabudana.
• Add flavor of your choice like a pinch of nutmeg or rose water. To use saffron, grind saffron with a pinch of sugar and soak in 1 tablespon of warm milk before using.
• You could use a combination of cream & milk or half and half depending on how rich you want the pudding.
• The amount of milk in the recipe can be varied as per desired thickness of the pudding.
• Cooking time of tapioca pearls will depend on variety and how long it takes them to swell up and is cooked through. Please adjust as needed.
• The pudding thickens up as it sits but you can thin it out with little warm milk if serving next day. Boil up the milk, add to the kheer and reheat.