Description
Sabudana Kheer is a traditional Indian pudding made from soaked tapioca pearls cooked in simmered milk, flavored with cardamom, and enriched with ghee-roasted almonds and raisins. This creamy, mildly sweet dessert can be prepared using condensed milk or jaggery for sweetness and is perfect served warm or chilled. The slow cooking process ensures a velvety, smooth texture with translucent pearls that melt in your mouth.
Ingredients
Scale
Sabudana Preparation
- 1/3 cup sabudana (sago)
- 1/2 cup clean water (for soaking)
Flavor Base and Toppings
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- 3 tablespoon sliced almond
- 10–12 raisins
Milk Mixture
- 3.5 cup whole milk
- 2 whole cardamom pods
- 1/8 teaspoon green cardamom powder
Sweetener
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk (or 90–95 g jaggery, adjust quantity to taste)
Instructions
- Wash sabudana: Place sabudana pearls in a colander over a large bowl and rinse under running water 4-5 times until the water runs mostly clear, gently stirring with fingers to remove excess starch.
- Soak sabudana: Drain the water, transfer sabudana to a bowl, add 1/2 cup clean water, and soak for 6-10 hours or overnight until pearls swell and become soft enough to easily squeeze between thumb and finger. Drain any excess water after soaking.
- Roast nuts: In a heavy-bottomed pot, melt ghee on low heat, add sliced almonds and raisins, and sauté for 20-25 seconds until aromatic. Remove and set aside.
- Simmer milk with cardamom pods: Using the same pot, add cardamom pods and pour in the whole milk. Heat on medium until boiling, then reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent milk from sticking.
- Add soaked sabudana: Stir in the soaked sabudana carefully and continuously for 1 minute to avoid clumping.
- Cook sabudana: Cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring intermittently, until the pearls turn translucent and the mixture thickens to a velvety consistency but not overly thick, as it will thicken further on cooling.
- Add sweetener and flavorings: If using condensed milk, mix it in and simmer gently for 5 more minutes. For jaggery, remove from heat and stir in chopped jaggery immediately so it melts in residual heat without curdling. Then add the roasted nuts and cardamom powder, mixing well.
- Serve: Enjoy the kheer warm or chilled, keeping in mind it will thicken as it cools.
Notes
- Use good quality sabudana for best texture; soaking time varies with quality.
- Continuous stirring after adding sabudana prevents clumping.
- If using jaggery, do not cook the kheer after adding it to avoid curdling.
- Adjust sweetness according to taste; condensed milk or jaggery can be used interchangeably.
- The kheer thickens after cooling; keep it slightly thinner while cooking.
- Whole milk is preferred for richness, but you can use reduced-fat milk for a lighter version.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus 6-10 hours soaking time)
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
Keywords: Sabudana Kheer, Tapioca Pudding, Indian Dessert, Sabudana Recipe, Gluten Free Indian Dessert, Sweet Tapioca, Cardamom Kheer
