sabudana khichdi

Sabudana Khichdi Recipe (Fluffy & Non-sticky)

By Swasthi on February 17, 2023, Comments, Jump to Recipe

Sabudana Khichdi, a popular Indian dish made with tapioca pearls, whole spices, roasted peanuts, potatoes and fresh curry leaves. Have you ever wondered why your sabudana khichdi turns sticky, gluey, chewy and sticks to your teeth? I have the perfect solution to all your Sabudana Khichdi problems. Learn to make perfect non-sticky Sabudana Khichdi with the help of my step by step photo guide.

sabudana khichdi

Sabudana more commonly known as sago in the Asian countries, is a processed plant starch extracted from the cassava root. This starch is shaped to pearl like balls. Sabudana is high in carbohydrates, so it has the ability to boost energy quickly.

Due to its quick energy boosting quality, it was classified as one of the best fasting foods by the traditional Hindu community.

So a lot of Hindus use sabudana during various festivals and fastings to make numerous dishes like this khichdi
Sabudana vada
Easy Sabudana kheer
Sabudana payasam and many more.

About Sabudana Khichdi

Sabudana khichdi is a popular Hindu fasting food where soaked tapioca pearls are tempered with curry leaves, whole spices, potatoes and roasted peanuts. It is a popular dish from the North Indian and western Indian states.

Sabudana khichdi is most commonly eaten during Navratri, Ekadashi and other Hindu fasting days. But you can also eat it anytime for a breakfast or light dinner.

Due to the high starch content in sabudana, proper preparation and cooking techniques are required. Without that the starches can clump up together to gluey, sticky and chewy texture.

My recipe will help you make the best sabudana khichdi that’s non-sticky, fluffy and soft with no chewiness in the pearls.

If you are new to cooking with sabudana I highly recommend reading and following my pro tips to make your dish a success.

Pro Tips

Rinsing sabudana well a few times is the first important step. This helps to get rid of the excess powdery starch from the surface of the pearls. If not rinsed well, the pearls will stick up to each other and clump up. I rinse them thrice in lots of water rubbing them well.

Soaking sabudana using fresh cold water just as needed is the next important step. There are 2 ways you can soak them for a perfect texture. First one is to use ¾ cup of water for every cup of sabudana. Second method is to soak them in water just enough to immerse them. More details below.

Soaking them in lot of water will oversoak them and eventually end up being gluey when they come in contact with heat.

Draining sabudana is optional but is recommended just to ensure there is no excess moisture. I usually skip this step as I find no excess moisture in the sabudana after soaking them well with ¾ cup water.

Cooking the pearls for longer makes them sticky and will form lumps. Sabudana needs to be cooked only for 2 to 3 mins. Within this time they turn transparent meaning they are cooked.

Sabudana khichdi

How to Make Sabudana Khichdi (Stepwise Photos)

Prepare Sabudana

1. Pour 1 cup sabudana to a wide bowl. Yes using a wide bowl is essential.

sabudana in a wide bowl

2. Pour 2 to 3 cups of water and rub them well with your fingers. Drain the water completely. Repeat these steps of pouring fresh water, rubbing them and then draining off the water. Do this at least thrice. This removes the excess starch over the sabudana.

3. Soak them in ¾ cups water. Do not soak them in lot of water.

soaking sabudana in water

4. Soak for 4 hours to overnight. This depends on the kind of sabudana. Some don’t turn soft quickly while some work out well in 3 to 4 hours. When properly soaked, they absorb the entire amount of water and almost double in size.

soaked sabudana after 4 hours

5. To check, you can press a few sabudana pearls in between your thumb and forefinger. When soaked properly, then will be soft and get mashed easily. You can also bite and check if it is hard inside. If it is still hard, it has to soak for a little longer. Mine were done in 4 hours. Soaking overnight works out well too with the same amount of water.

perfectly mashed sabudana to make khichdi

6. When they are soaked, there will be no water left but still drain them completely. More tips in the recipe card notes.

draining to a colander

7. Dry roast 4 tablespoons peanuts until crunchy and aromatic. Remove them to a plate and set aside. If you prefer to use crushed/ground peanuts, then pulse half of them in a grinder/blender to a coarse powder. Ground peanuts will coat the sabudana and keep them separate, avoiding mushy khichdi.

roasting peanuts

Temper

8. Heat 2 tablespoons oil or ghee in the same pan. Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds. When they begin to splutter, add 1 sprig curry leaves, 1 teaspoon fine chopped ginger (optional) and 1 to 2 chopped green chilies. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes.

tempering to make sabudana khichdi

9. Add boiled potatoes and saute for 2 minutes. Then sprinkle salt.

frying boiled potatoes

Make Sabudana Khichdi

10. Lower the flame completely and add drained sabudana, 2 tablespoons crushed peanuts (optional), half teaspoon sendha namak (rock salt), half teaspoon sugar (optional) and 2 tablespoons coconut (optional). OR You can also mix all of these separately in a bowl and add it here.

adding sabudana crushed peanuts and salt

11. Mix everything well and saute for about 2 to 3 minutes on a high flame. By then the sago turns transparent. Cooking any further or leaving in the hot pan will make they sticky.

Remove the pan from the stove. Add some coriander leaves and lemon juice. Also add the roasted peanuts. Gently stir with a fork or spoon to coat the lemon juice all over the sabudana khichdi.

pouring lemon juice

Serve it warm with a bowl of yogurt.

sabudana khichadi

Here are the simple tips to make perfect, fluffy and non-sticky sabudana khichdi:

Don’ts

  • Do not use a cast iron pan. Due to extreme heat, sabudana gets stuck to the pan and turns sticky. Instead use a non-stick pan.
  • Do not skip lemon juice. Add it towards the end and run a fork through the cooked sabudana khichdi to break up lumps if any. Small lumps here and there may be common as they are pure starch.
  • Adding sugar most times makes my sabudana sticky so I prefer to skip it. So it is up to you to use or not.

Variations

  • Ginger: I haven’t used ginger here. If you are not making for fasting then you may add it.
  • Peanut powder: You may skip it but it helps the sabudana to remain grainy.
  • Coconut is an optional ingredient.
sabudana khichdi recipe

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

sabudana khichdi served in a black plate

Sabudana Khichdi Recipe (Fluffy & Non-Sticky)

Sabudana khichdi is an Indian dish made with tapioca pearls, peanuts, potatoes and herbs. It is one of the most common foods eaten during religious fastings.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
soaking4 hours
Total Time4 hours 15 minutes
Servings2 people
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • 1 cup sabudana (sago or tapioca pearls)
  • ¼ cup peanuts
  • 2 tablespoons ghee or oil
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • 1 to 2 green chili (chopped or slit)
  • 1 medium boiled potato (firm and not mushy)
  • ½ teaspoon sendha namak (powdered rock salt) adjust to taste
  • 2 tablespoons coriander leaves finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon sugar (optional)
  • 1 tablespoons lemon juice

Optional ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon ginger chopped
  • 2 tbsp coconut grated (optional)


Instructions

Soak Sabudana

  • Add sabudana to a wide bowl and pour 2 to 3 cups of water. Rub them well with your fingers and drain the water completely.
  • Repeat this steps of adding fresh water, rubbing and then draining the starchy water completely. Do this at least thrice.
  • Then pour ¾ cups fresh water and soak them for 4 to 6 hours or until softened. You can also leave them overnight.
  • After 4 to 6 hours, check if the sabudana is soaked well and softened by pressing a few pearls in between your thumb and fore finger. Well soaked sabudana will get mashed well and completely.
  • If they are hard, cover and set aside for few more hours. You can also sprinkle some water if needed at this stage.
  • When the sabudana is soaked well, transfer them to a colander to ensure there is no excess water left.

Roast Peanuts

  • Dry roast 4 tbsps peanuts until golden and aromatic. Set these aside.
  • Optional – If you prefer to add some crushed or powdered peanuts, you can powder half of them & set aside. Crushed peanuts coat the sabudana and help to keep them grainy without turning sticky.

How to Make Sabudana Khichdi

  • Heat ghee or oil in a pan. Then add cumin, green chilies, ginger and curry leaves.
  • Saute for a minute and then add cubed boiled potatoes. Saute them for 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Meanwhile mix together sabudana, salt, sugar and peanut powder (optional).
  • Regulate the flame to high. Add sabudana to the pan along with coconut (optional).
  • Stir and saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until transparent. Overcooking can make them sticky.
  • Immediately remove from the heat. Squeeze in the lemon juice, add coriander leaves & roasted peanuts.
  • Mix the lemon juice lightly. This helps to release any sabudana stuck together.
  • Serve sabudana khichdi with yogurt.


Notes

  • Do not over soak or over cook sabudana, they may turn sticky.
  • There are so many varieties of sabudana available in market. Some need to be soaked for 6 hours to over night while there are varieties that may need just 2 hours for soaking. You will have to experiment with your variety.
  • If you have a trouble with sabudana turning sticky. Drain them completely after soaking and spread them on a plate for about 30 minutes.
  • You can also add a tsp of melted ghee or oil to the soaked sago and toss before adding to the pan.
  • Use enough oil or ghee for seasoning else they stick to each other due to lack of grease.
  • I prefer to use boiled potatoes, as the raw ones take a lot of time to get cooked.

Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Sabudana Khichdi Recipe (Fluffy & Non-Sticky)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 553 Calories from Fat 234
% Daily Value*
Fat 26g40%
Saturated Fat 12g75%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
Monounsaturated Fat 9g
Cholesterol 39mg13%
Sodium 676mg29%
Potassium 272mg8%
Carbohydrates 77g26%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 163IU3%
Vitamin C 37mg45%
Calcium 71mg7%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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© Swasthi’s Recipes

Sabudana khichdi recipe is from the Archives. First published in October 2015. Updated and republished in October 2021.

Sabudana Khichdi Recipe (Fluffy & Non-sticky)

About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

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5 stars
Thank you for sharing about the desiccated coconut to sub peanuts. But please mention that in the recipe.

5 stars
Easy to make yummy recipe

Hi thanks for the detailed pic by pic step by step recipe. I enjoyed this almost 20 years back while I was in Delhi. I will surely try this shortly.

Amazing recipe!! Thanks 👌

Thanks! I cannot handle peanuts, though I love them. What can I substitute for peanuts? I’ve stopped making this due to peanuts causing me acidity right after I eat them.

5 stars
The dish turned out superbly well. Thanks Ma’am.

5 stars
The dish turned out superbly well. Thanks Ma’am

5 stars
Thank you for your great recipe and easy to follow ,clear instructions. The khichdi came out real tasty

5 stars
Very nicely explained going to try my first batch of sabudana tonight

5 stars
Easy instructions to follow, with excellent results.

5 stars
I followed your instructions and made the khichdi..it turned out to be super delicious! I was so scared bc I could never make a soft and fluffy khichdi out of sago. I’m so glad I tried.
Love love your recipe.
Thankyou.

5 stars
Came out perfect following 1 cup and 3/4 cup idea.

Thank you for making me a pro on the first attemp.

5 stars
Turned out well , not at all sticky , me and my son enjoyed and will make in future for sure . Thanx

5 stars
Your recipes never fail. I tried your sabudana khichdi recipe last evening and it turned out great. Thank you very much

5 stars
Swasthi your website is just amazing & I’m short of words. Today I had made sabudana khichadi for 12 people and it turned out well perfectly and did not stick. The only thing I changed is to make the sabudana khichdi in batches as mentioned by you in one of the comments. Thanks for the effort you put in writing the details with step by step phots for every recipe.

5 stars
The saboodana khichdi recipe is very well written with all the extra tips & enjoyed the outcome.
I have tried quite a few of your recipes & they always come out great.
Your recipes are very highly rated. Thanks very much for sharing them.

5 stars
Hi thank you so much this is my favorite dish..wanted to know how should I keep the cooked khichdi if I cook at night n need to use the next day..should I refrigerate or it stays good outside?

5 stars
Follow your recipes and they never disappoint.. thank you ! Best Sabudana khichdi .

Can I make the sabudana khichdi in the night and reheat the next morning? Will it not turn sticky? Please reply?

5 stars
My search for the best sabudana khichdi ends here. Not to overcook is crucial. Thank you for the easy recipe

5 stars
My sabudana khichdi was never this good until I followed your recipe. Have made it thrice this month for the weekend breakfast & my husband loves it. Thank you!