Sabudana Khichdi is one one those Indian comfort food recipes that I could eat ALL DAY. I love the consistency and texture of subadana – also known as tapioca pearls. This recipe is quite simple and doesn’t require a ton of ingredients so as long as you remember to soak the sabudana- you can whip this up in no time! I purchased sabudana from my local Indian grocery store and did not use pearled tapioca or pearled cous cous.
I’d definitely love to experiment with this and maybe switch out the regular potatoes with sweet potatoes or just add in some more veggies so feel free to have some fun. However, I wanted to share this very simple and authentic version first with you – exactly the way we make it at home.
A lot of the flavor comes from curry leaves, green chilis and then the simple combination of salt, sugar and lemon juice believe it or not. After I added the sabudana to the recipe I kept adding sugar/salt/lemon until I tasted the perfect balance of flavor. I know people are ANTI sugar these days- and I get it..but this recipe calls for it and will taste OFF if you choose to skip the sugar so make it my way first and then make adjustments as needed.
You can use any type of green chili- the chili powder I use at home is quite spicy so I like to use a milder green chili as opposed to a thai green chili or serrano chili- so just gauge this based on your spice level. Also if you have super tiny curry leaves- add a bit more to this recipe than just the 5-6 it calls for. The store bought ones tend to be a lot larger and more mild in flavor than the ones grown at home.
Tips to Prevent Sticky Sabudana:
- Rinse the sabudana thoroughly before soaking, rinse 2-3 times until you get clear liquid. The excess starch is what makes it clumpy.
- Soak the sabudana in a 1:1 ratio. Too much water will make them clumpy. My recipe calls for 1.5 cups sabudana and 1.5 cups water. The water should be just over the top of the sabudana once soaked.
If you love Gujuarati recipes, also be sure to check out my masala khichdi!! I’m not a huge fan of traditional Gujurati food but dishes like these are my favorite because you get ALL of the flavor without too much effort. It’s quick enough to whip up on a weeknight or a lazy Sunday and if you omit the spice, its super kid friendly.
As always, follow me on @thechutneylife and DM if you have questions on this recipe or comment below!! Happy Eating ?
This is not a sabudana khichadi recipe. Nobody puts curry leaves and such ridiculous things in it.
do you have the internet? Here’s a recipe from the very famous Tarla Dalal. Spoiler alert- there are curry leaves her recipe too. Also you know what’s more ridiculous than variations in family recipes? TROLLS.
Delicious sabudhana kichdi!!
Thank You so much!!
Hi! When do you add the turmeric? After the potatoes are done cooking or add it with the potatoes?
Do you have the turmeric with the chili powder?
what can you substitute for the curry leaves? i don’t have an indian store near me.
I use microwave way to make this yummy khichadi. Every pearl of sabudana is cooked and does not stick and is done in 4 mins if the tadka with potatoes peanuts and other stuff is already done in advance.
Hi! At what point do you add the turmeric powder and what if one doesn’t have curry leaves? Can I omit them or replace them with something else? Thanks!
Mine gets too sticky,,like really lumpy.. any suggestions to avoid that