Sabudana Kheer

Sabudana Kheer / Sago Pudding recipe is a very popular fasting food recipe served during the fast observed on Janmashtami, Shivratri or Navratri in India. Kheer is one of the sweet versions of Sabudana. It is very easy and fast to prepare and tasty at the same time. In India, we enjoy a variety of sweets during the festive season, from kheer to jalebi, to barfi and gulab jamuns.

It is made with milk, sago pearls with infused flavors of saffron and cardamom, and the dry fruits to give it a texture and the crunch in contrast with the soft and chewy texture of sago pearls. It is very easy to come up with and it so creamy, delicious, succulent, that one feels like preparing this dessert as often as one can.

Sabudana And Memories To Cherish

This sabudana kheer is one of my favorite sweet dishes I must say. It has some emotions attached to this dish. While my chachaji (uncle) used to fast for all 9 days during Navratri, I was always more interested in the yummy fasting food. My mom used to make sabudana khichdi, kuttu puri, sabudana vada, sabudana kheer and so much more. With very few ingredients those fasting foods were full of flavors and nutrition.

Benefits of Sago/Sabudana

Sabudana pearls are a good source of carbohydrates, this is probably the reason why it is included in the diet when fasting (known as vrat in Hindi). It keeps your blood pressure low and controlled. Sabudana is a rich source of vitamin b6 and folate, that helps in the proper development of the fetus.

Sabudana helps babies in rejuvenating its energy level and gain weight easily and is also nutritious at the same time. As it is loaded with the right amount of carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals for your baby, it becomes a better choice. It is also useful in providing calcium to toddlers who have stopped breastfeeding or those who do not like to have milk. As sabudana has higher nutrient content and digests slowly, it remains in the stomach for more time thus ideal if you are looking for stomach-filling food.

Soaking these sabudana requires some time and patient. I will share all the tips and tricks from soaking sabudana to making a perfectly creamy dessert. Bring home a pack of sago and prepare Sabudana Kheer whenever you crave for a dessert.

Do try other dessert recipes :

• Rice Kheer
• Kaju Pista Roll
• Jalebi
• Rasmalai
• Dry Fruits Laddu
• Sahi Tukra
• Instant Gulab Jamun
• Cherry Ice Cream 
• Thumbprint Cookies
• Strawberry Jam
• Mango Ice Cream
• Royal Falooda
• Mango Shrikhand
• Mango Mastani
• Almond Coconut Cookies
• Strawberry Lassi
• Til ke Laddu

Preparation Time: 5mins(+1hrs Resting Time)  ∏  Cooking Time: 25mins  ∏  Servings: 3-4

Level: Beginners (Easy)  ∏  Measurement: 1 Cup ≡ 250 ml ≡ 250gm

Ingredients Checklist:

Step4: Using the strainer drain any excess milk from the sabudana and reserve the milk.

Making Sabudana Kheer

Step5: Boil 3 cup whole milk in a deep pot. Also, mix the strained milk from the soaked sabudana into the pot. Stir in between so that milk doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan or overflow. Once it is boiled then let it simmer on low-medium flame.

Step6: As the milk boils, take out a little in the bowl, soak saffron strands in it.

Step7: Meanwhile cut the dry fruits. Crush cardamom make a coarse powder.

Step8: Heat a saucepan or a kadhai, add around 1 teaspoon of ghee. Coat the base of the pan very well with ghee so that the kheer does not stick on the bottom of the pan.

Step9: Now add soaked sabudana and saute for 2 mins on low flame.

Step10: Pour boiled milk. Stir and cook kheer on high flame till it boils again.

Step11: Then lower the flame to medium and cook while stirring in intervals until the milk is reduced to 3/4th. Scrape milk solids from sides and add to kheer.

Step12: Now add 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk (or 4-5 teaspoon sugar). Mix well.

Step13: Stir at intervals and cook the kheer on medium flame till dense. Then add the saffron dissolved milk and crushed cardamom powder. If needed add more milk.

Step14: Simmer until the mixture reaches the consistency you desire. (Don’t let it become too thick, though. The pudding thickens when it cools, so turn off the flame when it’s slightly runny). Take one spoon of kheer and once it’s cooled down a bit check the sago pearl whether it’s cooked completely by pressing between the finger and thumb, It should easily mash while pressing. 

Step15: If you like crunchy nuts on the top of pudding then roast the nuts in a small skillet or tadka pan, heat the ghee over medium flame. Add chopped almond, cashew, pistachio, and chironji and saute for 2 mins. (Do not add raisin at the starting otherwise, it will become chewy.)

Step16: After 2 minutes add raisins and saute for 1 minute.

Step17: Remove pan from heat. Garnish with fried nuts and serve kheer warm or chilled.

Step18: Sabudana kheer is ready to be served. Enjoy and satisfy your sweet cravings.

Tips:

• Don’t let it become too thick, though. The pudding thickens when it cools, so turn off the flame when it’s slightly runny.
• When the kheer cools down it will become thick as sabudana will absorb almost all milk. If you want to serve it chilled then add 1/2 cup milk and mix well before serving.
• I always prefer using whole milk to make kheer, it makes the kheer more rich and creamy and I highly recommend the same.
• Add dry nuts as per your taste. If serving it for kids then I will recommend adding dry fruit powder instead of chopped nuts to avoid any choking while consuming it.
• You can make Vegan Sabudana Kheer by cooking the sabudana in vegan milk like coconut milk, soy milk or cashew milk.
• If using jaggery instead of sugar then add it only after the kheer is done else the milk can curdle. Once the heat has reduced then add grated jaggery.