Sabu Dana Khichdi

Many of you must be wondering what is this 'Sabu Daana'..It is basically a starch extracted from various plants, mainly flavourless, and look like white round shaped pearls.

Sabu Dana can be found in any grocery store in most parts of India and outside India, most Indian grocery stores will have it. Many a times Sabu Dana gets confused with Tapioca pearls which is a very same kind of thing.

Being basically starch, Sabu Dana is rich is carbohydrates, low in fat and proteins. Very easy to digest, people also use when having upset stomach. Some of the dishes that are made out of it - kheer (pudding), upma / khichdi, Vada (patties)

Khichdi is a staple Indian dish made out of manly rice with lentils, but any dish little soft and messy can be termed as Khichdi. This particular Khichdi is very prevalent in Marathi cuisine (Western India) and Mumbai is where I got a habit of eating this particular dish. This is a dish very popular during the fasting season. My aunty makes this so yummy, she would make it so often, each time I am at her place. I have picked up the recipe from her only. So this post is dedicated my my dear aunty Mauni Khudi (Indira aunty).

All that you need :

(Serves 2)

• Sabu Dana - 1 cup

(Sabu Dana)

• Peanut - 1/4 cup (a handful)

• Potato - 1 large

• Dry red chillies - few

• Green chilly - 2

• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

• Curry leaves - few

• Oil - 2-3 tsp

• Salt - to taste

For serving - 

• Fresh curd

• Sugar

How to make it :

• Rinse the Sabu Dana a few times under flowing water  (like you wash rice before cooking it).

• Soak it in water for at least 4 hours. This way they will expand and become fluffy.

• Take a frying pan and dry roast the peanuts for about 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat, until they turn brown and crispy. Take it out and keep aside.

• Wash and peel the potato. Cut it into big square shaped pieces.

• Put the oil in a frying pan and heat it up.

• Use about 1 tsp oil and fry the potatoes for about 5 minutes, until they are cooked completely and turn golden brown.

• Take out the cooked potatoes and keep aside.

• Use the same pan and the remaining oil. Keep on medium heat.

• Wash the curry leaves, chop the green chillies.

• Once hot, put the cumin seeds, curry leaves, chopped green chillies and the dry red chillies as well.

• In about 30 seconds the cumin seeds will start spluttering.

• Add in the peanuts and the potatoes. Stir well and let it be for a minute.

• Strain the soaked Sabu Dana.

• Add the Sabu Dana now. Sprinkle salt to taste. Mix well. It might get slightly sticky and smaller moulds may start forming, but that is ok. Make sure to break those moulds and keep mixing well.

• In about 2-3 minutes, it will done. Switch off.

• Beat the curd nicely and add sugar to it.

• Serve the hot Sabu Dana khichdi with the sweet curd. That is how traditionally Maharashtrians savour it.

Note :

• I know of people who roast the peanuts and then grind them and use it. And I too have tried it that way, it tastes much better and that is how I do it now.

• Also I know of people who add a sprinkle of sugar to this khichdi, I personally never have.

• If you don't have or don't want to use potatoes, you will still enjoy this dish.