Sabudana Khichdee 2.0

After having cooked Chef Mandar Madav’s Kanda Poha (recipe on blog), I had been pestering him, for a foolproof Sabudana Khichdee recipe. For those of you who don’t know Mandar, he is Executive Chef at the Conrad Centennial, in Singapore. I’ve had the most amazing food when he was Executive Chef at Conrad-Pune. We lost him to Singapore. ☹ Lucky buggers! 😜

Getting back to the recipe… Why 2.0, you wonder? That’s because I have already posted a workable recipe of Sabudana Khichdee. And though, this one is very similar to the first, for all the tiny (important) changes incorporated, I felt this one turned out better. Feel free to give both recipes a try and opt for the one that works best for you. 😊 I did make teeny-weeny changes, but this recipe is all Mandar, and it’s stellar. Follow it to a T and rest assured, you’ll have a khichdee with pearls of sabudana (sago) separate and ‘khila-khila’, just as they should be. 

Chef Mandar Madav, heartfelt thanks for allowing me to constantly trouble you for this recipe and for sharing it so generously and so perfectly.

Ingredients:

2 cups filled to the brim (or 300 grams) sabudana (sago) 

2 cups water, filled to the brim (for prep)
30 ml milk
1 cup peanuts
½ cup peanuts
20-25 curry leaves
3 medium sized potatoes, cut into 1 cm cubes
½ tablespoon cumin seeds
5 green chilies, cut into 1 cm pieces
4 tablespoons ghee
Salt, to taste
1 tablespoon sugar 
A handful coriander, chopped

Prep: 

1. In a pan, roast 1 cup peanuts, ON LOW HEAT, until the peanuts turn a few shades darker and emit a beautiful nutty aroma. (Also, at this point the thin covering of the peanuts will loosen up.) This should, ideally, take 10 to 15 minutes. Do NOT rush this. 
   
   
   
   
   
2. Remove the peanuts onto a plate. Rub the peanuts in the palm of your hands and discard the outer covering from all peanuts. ALLOW TO COOL.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Once cool, grind the peanuts (please check video for ground peanut consistency) and keep aside, in an airtight box. 
   
   
   
   
4. Approximately 10 to 11 hours BEFORE COOKING, gently wash the sabudana three or four times, until the water runs clear. (like you would for rice) 
   
5. Lay out the washed sabudana in a large thali. (Most recipes tell you to use a bowl, TRUST ME, go with a deep stainless-steel thali). 
   
   
   
   
   
6. Pour 2 cups water (480 mils) water filled to the brim to cover the sabudana. To ensure there are no mistakes or confusion about the sabudana-water proportion/ratio, I repeat, I used the cup measurement FILLED RIGHT TO THE BRIM for the sabadana and for the water. No confusion, right? 
7. Add the milk, give it a gentle stir. 
8. Cover and leave the sabudana aside for a minimum of 10 hours to a maximum of 11 hours. (I usually soaked the sabudana from 11.45 PM to 10.30 AM – room temperature – do NOT put it in the fridge) 
   
   

IMPORTANT: While you can prep the peanuts well in advance, you need to decide on what time you plan to cook the Khichdee, as the soaking time for the sabudana will mainly depend on that. That’s it; prep done!

Method:

1. Take a LARGE colander and to that add the sabudana that have been soaking for 10 to 11 hours. The sabudana will have absorbed all the water and would have doubled in size by now.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Heat ghee in a large non-stick pan/kadhai. 
   
   
   
   
   
3. Add the half cup of peanuts, turn the flame to low and fry the peanuts until it emits a nice toasty aroma. When done, remove the peanuts from the ghee and keep aside. Please do NOT rush this, fry them on low heat. 
   
   
   
   
4. Add the cumin seeds to the same ghee and allow to splutter.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Add cubed potatoes, give them a stir, cover and cook until they are cooked to 90% doneness. 
   
   
   
   
   
6. Open the lid, intermittently, and give them a stir, a couple of times, while they are cooking. 
   
   
   
   
   
7. Add curry leaves, green chilies, salt and give it a stir. 
   
   
   
   
   
8. Add the sabudana, the ground peanut powder and sugar. Give it a mix.
   
   
   
   
   
9. Take the vessel off the stove, with a spatula, toss the sabudana mixture gently, but well, to ensure the sabudana and the ground peanut powder come together evenly. 
   
   
   
   
10. Put the sago back on the stove, on HIGH FLAME. 
11. Add the fried peanuts. and cook for a minute. Also, check seasoning at this point and adjust if needed. 
12. Do not cook the sabudana for more than a minute on HIGH FLAME. Give it a few tosses, to ensure it heats evenly. (Please check Chef Note No. 8, and the video attached above, as regards to the correct way of tossing/stirring the sabudana) 
13. Turn the stove off after that one minute of high heat cooking. 
    
14. COVER the vessel for 4 minutes (at least) and allow it to accumulate steam from within. 
    
15. Open the lid after the marked 4 minutes. Add chopped coriander leaves and give it a gentle stir/toss. Serve!
    
    
    
    
    

Chef Notes:

1. The difference between the first Saudana Khichdee recipe posted by me and this one is really tiny and yet, those very tiny changes, as suggested by Chef Mandar, made a world of difference.
2. Chef Mandar’s recipe called for 1 medium potato, the Bawi in me, used 3 medium potatoes. Chef Mandar’s recipe requires chilies to be cut into 1 cm pieces. I cut 3 chilies finely and 2 chilies into 1 cm pieces. At most times, I prefer to chop all 5 chilies finely (I prefer that). Whole fried peanuts are not a part of Chef Mandar’s recipe, but we love them. These are tiny changes are incorporated by me but the recipe is perfect and works beautifully. 
3. Please ALLOW the roasted peanuts TO COOL before you grind them, or you may end up with a soggy, clumpy peanut mix. 
4. The ground peanuts are essential as they tend to soak up the wee bit of extra moisture (if any) of the soaked sabudana. This will ensure the sabudana does not turn lumpy or clump up. 
5. VERY IMPORTANT: At the end of the cook, leave the pan covered for 3 to 4 minutes as it allows the starchy sabudana to sort itself out. This is quite like how we leave cooked-steamed rice when we want each grain to be separate. The same method works here. 
6. I used the Badadana Sabudana. Do NOT opt for tiny variety of sabudana pearls. 
7. I used a spatula all throughout the cooking process as a curved spoon would most likely damage the delicate sabudana pearls. In case you don’t have a spatula, please use a FLAT wooden spoon (the one you would use with a non-stick pan). 
8. The best way to mix sabudana while cooking is to go in from the sides of the pan and toss the sabudana into the centre of the pan. Do that from all sides of the pan to keep mixing and tossing the sabudana. This ensures they don’t get smashed. 
   
9. This recipe and the finer points are mainly penned IN SUCH MINUTE DETAIL for people who are fed up with clumped-up sabudana. I humbly bow to experts who have been making sabudana for decades and can cook this recipe blindfolded. 
10. There are many variations to this recipe. A few examples to this would be… The use of raw, cubed potatoes instead of boiled, adding a touch of turmeric powder and the use of finely grated coconut as garnish. The variations vary from region to region. 
11. The cup I used is a regular measuring cup. For clarity… The maximum marking on the cup shows 200 mils but if you fill it right to the brim, the amount goes up to an exact 240 mils; the Universal measurement of one cup (Please, let’s not get into the US - UK measurement argument). I suggest you fill the cup for sabudana and water right up to the brim (as did I) to avoid any confusion. Theek hai? 😉 
12. The photographs are a mix as regards to spoons, plates, etc., coz I have clicked pics every time I cooked this. I've lost count of the number of times I've recreated this in my kitchen. 
13. As mentioned at the onset, the original recipe belongs Chef Mandar Madav. The photographs, though, belong to my blog, Kenzy’s Kitchen Korner. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes, and/or my photographs, on any blogsite or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.
    
    Some more photographs:
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    I served hot Sabudana Khichdee to my family, but I had too much work in the kitchen hence I finally sat down with it 2 hours later. I could not help but shoot this video to show you the texture. Even after two hours, the sabudana pearls were fluffy, yet separate. :)

Murmura Ladoo (Mamra Na Ladoo)

I’d seen a post, of these ladoos, on a food forum at Facebook and I’d been yearning to make these. It brought back a memory of mum’s masi making these ladoos for her. Yes, mum loves Murmura Ladoos. While I did read the recipe posted at the food forum, I check out many recipes online and finally homed in on a You Tube recipe by Bharatz Kitchen. These babies turned out super!

Ingredients:

3 cups (57 grams – cup filled to the brim) murmura / puffed rice / mamra

1 cup (200 to 210 grams) jaggery

1 tablespoon clarified butter

Extras To Keep Ready:

A tiny bowl filled with room temperature water (for jaggery check)

A bowl of cool water to dip your hands

2 plates or thalis

Method:

1.    Roast the murmura on medium heat, stirring continuously, in a nonstick pan or a large wok. Do not allow the murmura to burn or catch colour.

2.    When all the murmura are hot to touch and well roasted (randomly pick up two-three murmura and break each into two, if you hear a ‘snap’, they’re well roasted)

3.    Remove the murmura onto a plate and keep aside.

4.    Put same the wok/pan back on low flame. Add clarified butter.

5.    When the clarified butter melts, add jaggery and allow it to melt. Keep stirring it continuously, preferable with a flat wooden spoon.

6.    When the jaggery has melted completely, cook it until it begins to turn one shade darker.

7.    Take a drop of jaggery and drop it into the tiny bowl of water.

8.    Fish out the jaggery from the bowl and if it has held its shape without disintegrating the consistency of jaggery is perfect.

9.    Shut off the stove and QUICKLY but CAREFULLY add the murmura to the molten jaggery.

10. Mix the murmura and jaggery in a way that the jaggery evenly coats the murmuras.

11. Transfer contents of the wok onto a plate.

12. Dip your hands in cool water, take a portion of the murmura-jaggery mixture and quickly roll it into a ball, place it onto the other plate. The size of the ladoo is entirely up to you.

13. Keep dipping your hands in water and continue making murmura-jaggery ladoos until all the mixture is used up.

14. This quantity gave me 18 ladoos, the size of large lemons.

Chef Notes:

1.    We wanted hard ladoos hence cooked the jaggery to one shade darker, after it had melted. If you prefer ladoos a tad softer and chewier, as soon as you realize the jaggery is molten and melted, add the murmuras and continue with the rest of the recipe as mentioned. For softer and chewier ladoos, do NOT allow the jaggery to go a shade darker. Also, for softer ladoos, you may omit the jaggery-drop water check.

2.    Yes, you may use powdered jaggery instead of regular jaggery cubes.

3.    Please keep both the bowls of water and the plates ready as you do NOT want to run around at the last minute.

4.    Once the mixture is taken off the stove it is scalding hot but solidifies very rapidly. That is precisely why from Point No 9 to 13 you need to work very quickly. You also need to be very careful as the mixture is hot and that is why we use the bowl of cool water to dip our hands. I’m told some people also coat their hands with ghee. How well that works, I really have no clue.

5.    Even after having dipped your hands in cool water, you will be going, “ouch ouch” at times, while handling the hot mixture. Come on, be brave, I could do it, so can you. *evil grin*

6.    Preferably, use a nonstick vessel if you are giving this a try for the first time. Also, post-cooking, it’s way easier to clean.

7.    There can be many variations and additions to this ladoo. Please note, I have made the absolute basic, no-frills recipe.

8.    There is an easy way out if you are scared of handling the hot mixture. Lightly grease a thali with clarified butter, pour in the hot murmura-jaggery mixture, press the mixture into the thali and spread it evenly. The spread should be, approximately, an inch thick. Quickly make square or diamond shaped cuts into the mixture with a knife as you would when making chikki. This will make it easier to break the murmura pieces after it solidifies. Voila! Instead of ladoos, you’ve made murmura chikki. Now that I’ve given you an easy way out, there’s no excuse for you not to make this, eh? 😉

9.    You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes, and/or my photographs, on any blogsite or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.

Some more photographs:

 

 

Methamba - Raw Mango Jaggery Relish

Remember I mentioned in the Andhra Raw Mango Dal recipe that I’d used the second raw mango for another dish. Well, secret’s out! I made Methamba from Saee Koranne Khandekar’s book, Pangat, a Feast: Food and Lore from Marathi Kitchens. I bought this book on Kindle. This is the first recipe tried by me from the book and I have highlighted so many that I want to try. A major clarification: The recipe belongs to Saee and I have no copy right over it. I merely recreated this fabulous recipe in my kitchen.

As mentioned by Saee in the book, Methamba definitely falls under the relish category rather than the pickle  category. I had it with two things, namely, dal rice (Indrayani rice) and Prawn Khichdee. As Saee recommends in the book, I also gave it a try with some plain hot rice and ghee (clarified butter). That was heaven, sheer heaven! If raw mangoes are still available in your vicinity, give this recipe a try immediately.

Ingredients:

2 cups raw mango, peeled and roughly chopped
¾ cup jaggery, grated

3 tablespoons oil

3 dried red Byadgi chilies, broken into small pieces

1 teaspoon black or brown mustard seeds (I used black mustard seeds)

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

¼ teaspoon asafoetida powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder

1¼ teaspoon salt

Method:

1.    Heat oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, broken red chilies, asafoetida and turmeric powder. Sauté until fragrant.

2.    Add the chopped mango and toss well to mix with the spice-mix.

3.    Add the salt and red chili powder and mix well.

4.    COVER the saucepan and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until the mango pieces turn translucent.

5.    Add the jaggery and cook UNCOVERED (ON LOW HEAT) until the jaggery melts and the relish comes together in a nice even sticky form.

6.    Remove from fire and allow the relish to cool and then transfer into sterilized glass or ceramic jars.

7.    Can be stored in the fridge for 4-6 weeks.

Chef Notes & The Tiny Changes I Made:

1.    Instead of roughly chopping the mangoes, I preferred to dice then evenly – blame it on my frikkin’ OCD. *sheepish look*

2.    I used nearly 1 cup jaggery as the mango was extremely sour. Please taste as you cook and adjust the jaggery as suits your palate.

3.    While broke one chili into small pieces, I chose to break the remaining two into halves as mum cannot handle very spicy food and breaking the chilies into small pieces would mean she would encounter chilies in each bite. Also, I deseeded the dry red chilies to lessen their spice quotient. Please feel free to do that if you need to. Rest assured; the recipe works just as beautifully when you do so.

4.    The relish lasts for 4 to 6 weeks in the fridge, says the recipe. You can forget about it lasting that long coz if you are anything like me, you will polish this off within a week, max! *greedy-evil grin*

5.    As Saee rightly recommends, please, please do, give the Methamba a try with soft steamed rice and a dollop of clarified butter (ghee). In her exact words, I quote, “But once you try mixing it into some hot rice with a spoonful of ghee, we’ll talk.” As I said earlier... sheer heaven!

6.    As most food groups at Facebook have a ‘no link’ policy, I haven’t posted a link to Saee book, Pangat, at the FB groups. If you wish to access the link, please do so directly from my blog, Kenzy’s Kitchen Korner. It’s a book you will not regret picking up.

7.    As mentioned at the onset, the original recipe belongs solely to Saee Koranne Khandekar and her book, Pangat, a Feast: Food and Lore from Marathi Kitchens. This version of the recipe and the photographs, though, belong to my blog, Kenzy’s Kitchen Korner. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes, and/or my photographs, on any blogsite or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.

(Book photograph courtesy Amazon India)

Link for Pangat, a Feast: Food and Lore from Marathi Kitchens
Click HERE for the PAPERBACK EDITION

Link for Pangat, a Feast: Food and Lore from Marathi Kitchens
Click HERE for the KINDLE EDITION

Some more photographs: