The beauty of any kind of kheer is in slow cooking. I love cooking kheer in the traditional way on the stove top and I am including the instructions for the same. Sabudana Kheer holds a significant place in Indian cuisine especially as a customary offering during religious ceremonies and festivals. My grandma used to make sabudana kheer on days when she observed fasting. She lovingly served the kheer to us in bowls, topping it with a generous helpings of raisins and almonds sautéed in ghee. One cherished memory of my favorite fasting meal from those days includes kuttu ki poori, vrat wale aloo, and a delightful sweet ending with sabudana kheer. Whenever I make sabudana khichdi during navratri, sometimes, I set aside some soaked sabudana and make this kheer after a few days. Sago kheer does not require much effort in cooking since soaked sago cooks pretty fast. This luscious kheer is as comforting as a rice pudding, but smoother & creamier, and has almost a custard-like texture, due to the tapioca starch that lends it a silky smooth consistency. As the sabudana pearls simmer in milk, they naturally thicken it, gradually transforming into a pleasantly soft and chewy translucency. The aroma and flavors of kheer are enriched by the mild scent of the green cardamom or saffron.
What Is Sabudana
Sabudana is a starch derived from the inner part of tropical palm trees. In English, it is referred to as sago or tapioca. These starches are gathered and then processed to take on the appearance of pearls. Sabudana is available in various sizes in the market. Base your selection depending on the kind of dish you are preparing. When preparing sabudana khichdi, medium-sized sabudana is a good choice, whereas for kheer, I recommend using smaller-sized sabudana, as they cook more quickly and result in a smoother pudding with a finer texture.
Ingredients
Sabudana - Or Sago Pearls Whole Milk - Full fat milk is the best for making kheer. Ghee- For roasting nuts and raisins, it adds a wonderful nutty taste. Sweetener - You could choose condensed milk, jaggery or sugar. Flavors - I choose any one of saffron, green cardamom powder, rose water or kewda water depending on how I am feeling that day.
How To Make Sabudana Kheer (Stove Top Method)
Soak Sabudana
Prepare Kheer
Sabudana Kheer With Jaggery
Once the sabubana has cooked fully, take off the cooking from the stove. Wait for a minute and then add the chopped jaggery (gud) while the kheer is still hot. Mix well and the jaggery will melt in the residual heat (image 8). Don’t cook the kheer after adding jaggery else it will curdle.
Recipe Tips
Always use soaked sabudana for making kheer. This allows the pearls to swell and become soft while they cook in milk. Drain any excess water before using soaked sabudana. Add flavor of your choice like a pinch of nutmeg or rose water. To use saffron, grind saffron with a pinch of sugar and soak in 1 tablespon of warm milk before using. You could use a combination of cream & milk or half and half depending on how rich you want the pudding. The amount of milk in the recipe can be varied as per desired thickness of the pudding. Cooking time of tapioca pearls will depend on variety and how long it takes them to swell up and is cooked through. Please adjust as needed. The pudding thickens up as it sits but you can thin it out with little warm milk if serving next day. Boil up the milk, add to the kheer and reheat.
