Sabudana Khichdi (non-sticky every time)!
Feb 25, 2021
A pilaf made with sago/tapioca pearls, Sabudana Khichdi is commonly prepared in Indian during the fasting season of Navratri. It's a simple dish yet so flavorful. It's also vegan and gluten-free.
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Sabudana Khichdi – a pilaf/pulao made with sago pearls! This vegan and gluten-free dish is extremely popular in India during the fasting season of Navratri. However if you ask me, you don’t really need an occasion to make and devour it.
This khichdi is extremely simple and yet so flavorful. I love my sabudana khichdi with yogurt on the side.
Sabudana Khichdi is often made during the fasting season in India. It’s usually flavored with peanuts, chilies, cumin and curry leaves.
I used to wait for Navratri so that I could eat this khichdi along with sabudana kheer (which was also made often during the fasting season).
This khichdi doesn’t use a lot of spices and that’s because it’s often made during the fasting season and a lot of spices are prohibited to be eaten during that time. And it’s the simplicity of the dish which makes it so wonderful.
While everyone loves this khichdi, it can turn out to be quite a disaster in the kitchen if you do not follow the right way to cook it.
The biggest problem that everyone faces when making sabudana khichdi is that the pearls just clump together and make a gloopy mess. And that’s not very pleasant to eat then. Well not anymore!
I have had my shares of clumpy sabudana khichdi when I didn’t know how to cook anything. But I learnt with time and with practice. Now my sabudana khichdi always comes out looking perfect.
Do you see that? All pearls separate and no clumps?
Tips to Make Non-Sticky Sabudana Khichdi
1. Soak the sabudana overnight. A lot of recipes would call for soaking for 4 hours or 6 hours but in my experience the recipes works best if you soak it overnight.
2. Rinse the sabudana until water turns clear to get rid of the starch. This is an important step to do before you soak the sabudana.
3. Always use 1:1 ratio of sabudana and water. So for 1 cup of sabudana, use 1 cup of water to soak it.
This is the biggest mistake that you can make which results in clumpy khichdi. You want to pearls to be just about submerged in water. A lot of water will result in a gloopy mess!
4. In the morning, drain the sabudana. There will hardly be any water left in the morning after you have soaked the sabudana overnight. However drain using a colander just to make sure that there’s no water.
5. Check if the sabudana has been properly soaked by pressing a pearl between your thumb and index finger. You should be able to smash it easily.
6. Once you add the sabudana to the pan, do not cook or stir it for too long. You have to cook only for few minutes until most of the pearls becomes translucent. If you keep cooking and tossing for a long time, it is going to stick together.
If you follow these tips carefully, you will have a perfect non-sticky sabudana khichdi ready in no time!
Ingredients
This recipe uses very few ingredients!
Sabudana: for this recipe, we use the regular sabudana (sago pearls) that you can find at any Indian grocery store.
You ca also find it online on amazon.
Potatoes: this is the only vegetable that is used in the recipe. Potatoes are very widely consumed during fasting and hence they are also added to this khichdi which is often made during Navratri.
Spices: other than cumin seeds, there’s no spice added here. I like to keep it simple but you can definitely add other spices to it like chili powder, turmeric etc.
Peanuts: there’s no sabudana khichdi without peanuts! A lot of times, peanuts are crushed and then added to the khichdi. I have just added them whole here.
Curry leaves and chilies: these two give a lot of flavor to the khichdi. Since we don’t add much spices here, these fresh ingredients are an integral part of this recipe.
Seasonings: the khichdi is seasoned with salt and if you like some sugar too. Actually, I do recommend adding sugar, it helps balance the flavors and make the khichdi taste even better,
If making it for fasting, use sendha namak (rock salt) in place of salt.
The khichdi is finished with lemon juice and cilantro which add the perfect finishing touches to the dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we add spices to khichdi?
Yes, if you are not making it for fasting you can add spices like turmeric, coriander etc. to it.
Can we add onions to the recipe?
Again yes, if not making it for fast. It will work well.
Is sabudana khichdi gluten-free?
Yes, it is gluten-free and this recipe is also vegan.
Method
1- Rinse sabudana under water until water turns clear. This is important to get rid of all the starch.
2- Transfer the rinsed sabudana to a large bowl and add 1 cup water to it. No more.
3- In the morning the sabudana would have soaked up all the water. But you still drain it using a colander just to get rid of any excess water.
4- To check if sabudana is ready to cook, press a pearl between your thumb and index finger. It should smash easily. Set it aside.
5- Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for few seconds.
6- Then add the diced potatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes stirring often until potatoes are almost cooked. It’s important to dice the potatoes small here so that cook quickly.
7- Add the raw peanuts and for another 2-3 minutes.
8- Then add the green chili, curry leaves and cook for 1 more minute.
9- Add the drained sabudana to the pan along with salt and sugar.
10- Mix well until well combined.
11- Cook for few minutes until most of the sabudana pearls become translucent, stirring once or twice. Do not cook it for a long time else it will stick. Remove pan from heat. Add lemon juice and cilantro and toss to combine.
12- Serve sabudana khichdi hot with chilled yogurt.
I love my sabudana khichdi with a cup of masala chai!
If you’ve tried this Sabudana Khichdi Recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter to see what’s latest in my kitchen!
This post has been updated from the recipe archives, first published in June 2018.
Sabudana Khichdi (non-sticky every time)!
Ingredients
- 1 cup sabudana 180 grams, sago pearls
- 1 cup water 8 oz
- 1 tablespoon oil use oil of choice, I used avocado oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 medium potato 200 grams, diced small, around 1 cup diced potatoes
- 2 tablespoons raw peanuts
- 1-2 green chili chopped, adjust to taste
- 6-7 curry leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste, use sendha namak if making this for fast
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar optional
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Rinse sabudana under water until water turns clear. This is important to get rid of all the starch.
- Transfer the rinsed sabudana to a large bowl and add 1 cup water to it. No more.
- In the morning the sabudana would have soaked up all the water. But you still drain it using a colander just to get rid of any excess water.
- To check if sabudana is ready to cook, press a pearl between your thumb and index finger. It should smash easily. Set it aside.
- Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for few seconds.
- Then add the diced potatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes stirring often until potatoes are almost cooked. It’s important to dice the potatoes small here so that cook quickly.
- Add the raw peanuts and for another 2-3 minutes.
- Then add the green chili, curry leaves and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the drained sabudana to the pan along with salt and sugar. Mix until well combined.
- Cook for few minutes until most of the sabudana pearls become translucent, stirring once or twice. Do not cook it for a long time else it will become sticky.
- Remove pan from heat. Add lemon juice and cilantro and toss to combine.
- Serve sabudana khichdi hot with chilled yogurt.
Video
Notes
- You may add ginger to the khichdi, tastes good.
- You may also add turmeric or other spices if not making this khichdi for fasting.
- Replace the salt with sendha namak if you are making this sabudana khichdi for navratri fast.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love your recipe and have tried it and it came good.
I have never put potatoes till date, but this time I tried it and it came good. the only suggestion here is Yogurt and masala tea do not go together and may cause stomach upset because of milk and yogurt. plus khichdi has lemon, so I would suggest skipping the masala chai for another time. yogurt is always a blessing to have with khichdi.
thanks for your suggestion.
Thanks for your Sabudana Khichdi recipe Manali !! I always used to be confused on water qty and used to ask my mom How much water ?!!
Love your explanation 1:1 to avoid goopiness .. that clears my lifetime sabudana consistency confusion ???
Will definitely give it a try !
Amazing recipe, came out super nice! I did a mini variation – soaked for 2.5 hours, and added ginger and hint of jaggery!
Hi Manali,
I always loved eating sabudana khichdi, but I could never make it before. No matter what I did, the khichdi used to get sticky and I couldn’t understand where was I going wrong. So once after such unsuccessful attempt, I gave up cooking sabudana khichdi.
When I came across your recipe, it’s described so simply that I could dare to try it. For the first time, my sabudana khichdi came out perfect. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
yay so glad to know Parul!
Sure shot recipe.. each grain is separate! I have made it several times now and it always turns of super! Thank you !!
welcome!
Hi,
Great recipe.
What to do if Sabudana after soaking overnight does not gets smashed? Any instant fix ?
As in the morning there is not enough time to soak for few more hours and wait.
Thanks
I would go ahead and make it, if it has soaked overnight it should be okay
Loved the perfect recipe so simple and yet so tasty and authentic taste. The recipe was also presented in a precise and easy to understand way with all important details and no unwanted irrelevant details.
Have been craving to have this, first time i made from tips from friends was a disaster and this time with this recipe it was perfect , this sabudana khichdi gives all the dos and donts and makes one feel so confident. Thanks a lot
You have a new follower
you are welcome!
1 cup unsoaked sabudana becomes how much after it is soaked
didn’t measure, the recipe serves 2
Tried this today it was my first time…and I must say it turned out really well…followed your recipe step by step and it was really just spot on…thanks so much!!!
welcome! 🙂
The sabudana Khichdi turned out awesome!!! Followed all your tips. My friends too like it a lot.
glad to know 🙂
I make it exactly the way you make it and turns out great. To avoid sticking I use a non stick pan which actually helps a lot.
Just made this the other day and it turned out perfectly. Love how your recipes are so well measured, it makes for a perfect dish every time!
glad to know Daljit!
Loved the way the khichdi turned out! No globs, just individual grains, like you promised. Would have liked to enhance the flavor with crushed rather than whole peanuts.
My husband is allergic to nuts. Would not adding peanuts make a difference in whether the Sabudana kichidi would be sticky or not?
no, just skip
Hi,
I have tried your recipe twice and both times it was great. Thank you for sharing and you have provided the exact method for soaking which is key in this dish.
I love this dish. I am myself an author of different genre. Trying this dish for the first time. Planning to add some roasted nuts as well. Let’s see how it comes. Surely a nice helpful article from you for a beginner like me
I never imagined that Sabudana khichdi could be so delicious. It’s been 8 years to our marriage and my wife keep insisting that it’s good but I never tried because I never had in the past and I was just stubborn.
As we completed 8 years of beautiful relationship (not marriage), I thought of surprising her with Sabudana khichdi (I know, it’s not super great but she loves it). Moreover, this recipe has avocados too which I don’t seen anywhere else, her another favourite.
She loved it, moreover I loved it.
and Yes Manali, we were once colleague and back then I never imagined that 9 years later I will come to your super awesome blog to learn cooking… ha ha
haha I didn’t either! Thanks Ashish, so glad to hear that 🙂 Hope you are doing well!
Came out amazing! Thanks for the tips!!
Yum! Tasty and so easy to make.
Hey! Super thanks for the recipe and the instructions. I made it for the first time and it came out perfectly well.
Tips are really nice …?
glad to know!
Nice I will try this tip soon…
Hi! Just tried this and it came out perfect! Thanks a ton. Cheers!
you are welcome!
Thanks for the recipe and also the best solution provided of saoking the sabudana in 1:1 ratio ,my sabudana khichdi and vada both had become very nice and tasty .
you are welcome! 🙂
Hi Manali, I tried your recipe today of Sabudana Khichdi for breakfast and loved it. Thank you so much for your recipe.
you are welcome!
Hi Manali, I will be trying your recipe for the first. I have a question. Is there an alternative to peanuts.
Hope to receive your reply.
Happy cooking!
cashews?
Thank you so much for a fabulous recipe! I had tried making sabudana khichri once before and it had turned out so lumpy, I completely lost my nerve and didn’t attempt it again. Tried your recipe yesterday, and am happy to say it turned out beautifully. Thanks so much.
You are welcome! 🙂
Hi Manali
I am trying this tomorrow for the first time as my husband keeps complaining that each time they stick and get messy. I didn’t know the soaking had a ratio so I used 1 cup water as u suggested but still the seeds are slightly submerged under the water: not half of them but the entire seed in itself is submerged, Hope I got the soaking Right. Then, the second worry is that do I stir at all or never stir ? Just mix n cook it for “few” minutes meaning 5 or 8 or 10 min? What’s the upper limit ? I don’t want to go wrong !!
Hi Gayathri, just use 1:1 ratio..whatever cup you choose, just do 1 cup water to 1 cup sabudana. Follow the recipe and you will have perfect khichdi. Cook for 3-4 minutes and don’t over stir.
Finally found a perfect receipe for this dish!.
This one works!
Thank you.
Welcome!
I use ghee instead of oil which gives it a super craving smell. And also I love to add tomatoes in this recipe.
It looks very delicious! Thanks for sharing such informative and delicious recipe.
Real easy n yummy. First time I made it n it turned out well. Thanks!
Welcome!
I have tried this and came out perfect.. thanks
awesome!
I made Sabudana khichdi for the first time with this recipe. Absolutely yummy! Thank you for guiding step by step.
Welcome! glad it turned out well
Thanks a lot for the recipe
Tried it and turned out perfect ?
It was a hit ?
Hi Manali . Thanks for posting such a wonderful sabudana kichidi with tips. It turned out really well??
glad to know it helped!
Thanks for helping me as I was making it first time
Excellent recipe Mam. What i did was fried the potatoes n peanuts n mixed it with the sabudana n microwaved it. It came out translucent n grains intact. Everyone shud try this. Simple n easy with no tension.
Great!
Hi Manali ,
My first try to make this khichdi. Turned out awesome . Thanks for your perfect recipe
you are welcome 🙂 glad you enjoyed it
Hi..
I have tried this recipe today. I prepared this dish for the first time. It Came out perfect and we enjoyed having this yummy food. I have seen many recipes before trying this and all other recipes looked like a sticky sabudhana. So I finally decided to try your recipe as you have given special tips to get a non sticky sabudhana. It worked perfectly. As this food came out really nice my husband told me that I can prepare it for breakfast.
I have a doubt, Can I replace the cumin by mustard and urad dal?
Thank you so much for the perfect recipe.
Hi Manali ,
Love your recipe.
1-Want to know if it can be prepared a day before( to avoid rushing arround.
2- can prepared sabudana be frozen? If so which is the best way to heat?
Touch questions!
Would love to hear from you.
It can prepared a day in advance, should be fine..just heat on stove top. I am not sure if freezing sabudana will work, it has a lot of starch and such things don’t usually freeze well.
Hi Manali
I was very disappointed with my khichadi today as it became a big dough. I had to pull a part to serve. It taste very nice though. I soaked sabudana over night and the water was just underneath the seed. In the morning I found little bit excess water so I drained them and wrapped in a tea towel for an hour and then cooked them. I got angry and frustrated with my khichadi and then I looked for the recipe and found yours. Now I know my error, I stirr too much, cook too much and add potatoes and peanuts at the end. The person who makes awesome khichadi has given me this instruction. The part of 1 cup sabudana and 1 cup water , I didn’t know as well. So I will try one more time in a 2 weeks time and let you know.
Cheers and have a great with your awesome cooking.
Do try and let me know!
Yammy..n… superb khichadi I ever made, before the same problem sticking of pearls, this tym I followed ur instructions.its turns out superb.?
Thanks a lot ?
Welcome! so glad it worked!
Hi Manali
Perfect recipe
Was never happy with my Sabudana Khichdi ?
But now it comes out perfect ?
glad to know Saumya! 🙂
Thanks a lot for the recipe. My khichdi turned out perfect. Did not stick together. My son just loved it
Glad to know!
Fantastic recipe…I added turmeric, a pinch of garam masala and grated coconut at the end. My husband loved it…?
glad to know Sandhya! I like the addition of coconut, yum!
Tried this today. Dint turn sticky at all, thanks to your tips. But I am unsure if the pearls are translucent rightly so wanted to share the pic but am not able to upload a pic here.
you can email me the pic at manali@cookwithmanali.com
Thanks made it perfectly today. I made a small change that instead of lemon juice, I added a tomato in the end to make it a little more juicy. It turned out to be the same as my mom cooked for me while I was young. Loved it! Thanks..will happily cook for my mom now when I meet her next.
Good to know! 🙂
Tried preparing kichdi today. Turned out very good. Your tips helped to avoid being sticky.
glad to hear that Deepa 🙂
Yummy and fantastic… Prepared it your way only i soaked sago at 6am and prepared at 10 am… But it came out nicely like yours.. For the very first time it was nice separate pearls instead of gooey mass.. Problem was stirring.. Thanks a lot for tips…
Welcome Meesha, I am happy the tips were useful!
Hi Manali!! I just tried this recipe absolutely fantastic to the point. Each pearl came out grain for grain. Absolutely in love with this. Will also follow you on Instagram. Thanks for the tips. Very helpful and easy. Though I added plenty peanuts. LOL
Awesome! Happy to hear that Melanie! and adding plenty peanuts is never a bad idea! 😉
M planning to do it tomorrow. Your recipe looks yummy.
hope you liked it!
That really looks good. Every pearl is separate. Adding curry leaves must surely add a different kind of flavor to the khichdi. Have to try this method. Couldn’t really figure out the difference in soaking as I soak it overnight just like you do, just enough to cover them and when I rinse the water in the morning, they are nice and non-sticky. But once I cook them, they stick to each other. And once they stick, that is it, there is recovery from that stage LOL. I use boiled potatoes, don’t know if that has anything to do with the texture. Will try it your way and see the outcome.
Mita, try again. I am sure it will come out perfect. If you are doing the soaking part right then maybe you are stirring it a lot. The key is to cook until the pearls just start to get translucent.
Yes Mita. A friend whose sons were in DPSSushant Lok,taught me how to make this dish and how to spread Dosa,before my Google Baba days. However ,when we have God in mind this UP-vas dish certainly helps.
Thanks and Inshallah if we share our tiffin someday–this may be just the dish.
I think,the rinsing before cooking is an issue. Rinse as many times as you want before you soak. But when it is time to cook,only drain the excess water in the colander.