Sabudana Khichidi (Sago/Javarisi/Tapioca Upma)

This last Friday was Ashada Ekadasi (one of the few Ekadasi that is very auspicious) and almost all of my colleagues and friends were observing fasting. Living with my mom, in-laws and my dad (ISKCON priest), who follow Ekadasi quite well, knew that I am allowed to eat only once in the day and end the fast with a sumptuous meal on Dwadashi (the next day). I could not eat any grains, but could eat anything from the roots, stems, fruits and vegetables. Here in Pune, many eat Sabudana (Javarisi) Khichidi (Upma) as it is from Tapioca root. My kids love this dish as well as they get it routinely in their day care. Just like any Upma, there is an art in making this.. and so here is my side of  the story on how to make this Upma.. or Khichidi..

Sabudana Khichidi

Ingredients
Soaked Sabudana - 3 cups

Peanuts - 1.5 cups
Curry leaves - 2-3
Cumin - 1 tsp
Green chilli - 4-5
Salt to taste
Refined oil or re fried butter (ghee) - 4-5 tbsp

Directions
Soak the sabudana overnight in a strainer. It is important to not soak it completely in water as the starch is lost. You have to rinse it well in water and drain all the water and let it soak in the residual water overnight or over a strainer.

Dry roast the peanuts until well roasted. In a blender add the roasted peanuts, chilli and salt and grind into a coarse powder. 

Take oil in pan and heat it. Add cumin seeds and when it sputters, add the curry leaves and the peanut mix and let it roast in low heat until golden brown for 2-3 min. Add the soaked sabudana into this mix and mix it well so every grain of sabudana is covered with peanut mix. This helps to make it less sticky. Otherwise, the entire thing will stick to each other into one big mass.

Let it roast and cook on low heat for 5-10 min until the whiteness of the sabudana is gone and you see glass transparency (that means the sabudana is cooked).

The khichidi is ready. Mine is a little more dark as I used re fried butter with its black sediment as I ran out of oil. Otherwise, once can make it light brown/white. One can also add red chilli powder instead of green chillies. The peanuts give the dish the signature taste of the Khichidi that you won't get from a regular south indian upma style of cooking.

As it is liked by everyone at home, there were no left overs and everyone enjoyed eating Upwas kha khanna (fasting food).

BTW, I observed complete fast on Ekadashi and only ate boiled potatoes, and sweet potatoes in the night for dinner after Abhishekham of our Laddoo Gopal (Lord Krishna). I ended the fast the next day with Puran Pholi (a dessert) as offering to Lord Krishna.. I will share this recipe in next blog.