Sabudana Khichdi

This is a very popular dish during fasts and otherwise also it is very tasty. My mother used to make a very delicious khichdi when I used to fast 2 days in a week. Its been a long time I have eaten it or even cooked it. I saw a packet of sabudana called "sago" here in the super market and felt like trying my mum's receipe. I remembered my mum soaking sabudana in water overnight. So I soaked it for overnight and the next day I found white water instead of sabudana. So I concluded that there was something wrong with sabudana!!!.

After that unsuccessful attempt, I started soaking sabudana for just 30mins or so before making this dish. But somehow I thought it may not be completely right. I thought of giving it a try one more time, so I soaked sabudana in the night. All the time I was thinking of following proper instructions about soaking part, but something in my mind told me I am doing it wrong. Then at once it striked me. My mum had told me to soak it for 30mins, then drain the water from it and leave it for 8 hours!!!. I had missed the draining part!!!. So next day morning, I found the nice looking, soft sabudana, and the khichdi came out superb. You can eat it with dahi, chutney or sev on the top. I added one red chilli in seasoning while making this dish, but it is not required.

Preparation time : 15mins Serves 3

Note: Do not add or sprinkle water in this dish at any time. There are different varieties of sabudana available in the market, some of them need very less water. In such cases, do not soak in water at all, just wash them in water and leave it for 8 hours.

Ingredients:
Sabudana 1 cup
Potatoes (boiled) 2
Roasted peanuts (remove the skin) 1/2 cup
Oil 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Cumin seeds (jeera) 1 tsp
Green chillies 2
Curry leaves 1 strand
Sugar 1 tea spn
Coconut (grated) 2 tbl spns
Lemon juice 1 tbl spn (or as per taste)
Salt

Method:
Wash one cup of sabudana in water. Soak sabudana in water and keep the same for 30 min (not more) After that drain the remaining water and keep it for 8 hours.
Cut the roasted peanuts into small peices. This can be done in a mixer but the powder should not be fine, peanut pieces should be felt while eating the khichidi.
Cut the boiled potatoes into small cubes.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard, when it starts popping, add the jeera, green chillies and curry leaves.
Add the potatoes, salt, sugar and mix well .
Add the sabudana, mix well, cover the lid and cook on low flame for 5mins.
Now add the peanut powder and the coconut. Cook for 1min.
Serve with lemon or squeeze in lemon juice.