Sabudana or tapioca pearls is a quintessential part of Hindu fasting period. It is used to make both savory pudding like sabudana kichdi. You can use it to make appetizers like falhari paneer tikka, sabudana vada and trail mix like falahari chivda. You can use it to make sabudana kheer and custard for those who have sweet tooth. Sago kheer is one of the most loved Indian desserts. It is also one of the easiest vrat recipes. It is also known as javvarisi payasam or sabbakki payasa in South of India. We make it with main ingredient as, sabudana pearls, sugar and creamy milk. Generally, we make it during Navratre, Mahashivratri in February, Sawan fasting period. We fast on sawan Mondays during Jul-Aug.Navratri is twice a year for 9 days during Chaitra or Mar-Apr & Shardiya Navratri in Oct. Most people have been doing this intermittent fasting for ages. Indian cuisine has many a traditional recipe which caters to detox with underlying rules of Ayurveda.
When fasting, we can make delicious dishes such as sweet potato kheer, ghiya kheer, apple kheer and carrot halwa. Check out this top 10 list of fasting recipes here. Get creative and make sweet dish like dry fruit modak, Strawberry modak, anjeer roll, and gluten free gulab jamun to surprise guests at your dinner party.
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Benefits of sago pearls
- Good for breastfeeding.
- Keeps BP in check
- Fights birth defects in fetus.
- Promotes heart health.
- Helps strengthens bones
- Aids in muscle recovery.
- Helps boost nervous system.
Equipment
- sieve
- saucepan
- large bowl
Ingredients for sago payasam recipe
- Full cream milk
- sabudana pearls / tapioca pearls
- Sugar
- Kesar/saffron strands soaked in 2 tablespoon milk, optional
- Green cardamom powder
How to make sabudana kheer?
- Soak sago in water for 1 hour until it swells up.
- Boil milk and add saffron to it.
- Add sago after removing excess water. Let it cook over a low heat.
- Add cardamom powder optionally.
- Now add sugar and stir. Let it cook until the sago turns translucent and sugar dissolves. Adjust sugar content according to your taste. Keep stirring in between so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan
- Serve sabudana payasam hot or cold as per your choice. You may optionally garnish with dry fruits like sliced almonds, cashews, raisins.
Storage
Store it in refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Top tip
Sieve the soaked tapioca pellets properly so that it is not too sticky.
Variations
You can also make javvarisi payasam with milkmaid. However, you cannot control the quantity of sugar content in it. Semiya javvarisi payasam is another interesting recipe which combines both vermicelli and tapioca kheer recipe.sabbakki payasam can also be made vegan by using thin coconut milk or almond milk. That way it is both vegan & gluten free.You may also make it with jaggery syrup or palm jaggery.
Garnish : Heat ghee and fry cashew nuts, almonds, raisins and add before you serve this sabbakki payasa.
Related recipes
Sabudana kheer recipe
Equipment
- saucepan
Ingredients
- 3 cups milk
- ⅓ cup sabudana / sago/ tapioca pearls
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 5-6 strands of saffron soaked in 2 tablespoon milk, optional
- 2 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 tablespoon sliced almonds
Instructions
- Soak sabudana in water for 1 hour until it swells up.
- Boil milk and add saffron strands optionally.
- Add sago after removing excess water. Let it cook over a low flame.
- Add cardamom powder.
- Now. add sugar and stir.
- Let it cook until the sago turns translucent.
- Optionally, garnish with sliced almonds. Serve hot/cold.
FAQ
Adding 2-3 cardamom pods to boiling milk. You can also add some pieces of banana.
If the kheer is too thin, thicken it by simmering it, stirring regularly. You can also add some condensed milk. If Kheer is too thick, add more milk and simmer it for a few minutes. Adjust sugar accordingly.
If you overcook them, it becomes clumpy and starts to stick to each other.
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation.
Conclusion: This delicious dessert has been a part of festival seasons for ages. While Asians dote over sweet drinks like bubble tea, we adore our milk pudding.
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