What is Sabudana Khichdi?

Sabudana Khichdi is a traditional Indian fasting dish made from soaked tapioca pearls (sabudana) stir-fried with roasted crushed peanuts, cumin seeds, curry leaves, green chilli, and cubed potato. It's the most popular food eaten during Hindu fasting days — Navratri, Ekadashi, Maha Shivratri, and other religious observances — because it's grain-free, nutritious, and satisfying while complying with fasting restrictions. The texture is unique: slightly sticky, slightly chewy translucent pearls with crunchy peanut pieces and soft potato throughout.

How do you soak sabudana for khichdi?

Rinse the tapioca pearls 2–3 times in cold water, then soak in MINIMAL water — just enough to barely cover, about 1cm above the surface. Soak overnight (8–12 hours) or minimum 4 hours. The pearls should absorb ALL the water and be dry-ish and fluffy when ready. Too much water is the most common mistake — it produces waterlogged, gluey khichdi. Test readiness by pressing one pearl between your fingers: it should crush easily with no hard white core.

Why is Sabudana Khichdi eaten during fasting?

During Hindu fasting days (Navratri, Ekadashi, Shivratri), grains like rice and wheat are avoided. Tapioca (sabudana) is not a grain — it's extracted from cassava root — so it's permitted. Similarly, potatoes, peanuts, cumin seeds, rock salt, and ghee are all fasting-compliant. Sabudana Khichdi provides carbohydrates (from tapioca), protein and fat (from peanuts), and electrolytes (from rock salt) — making it nutritionally complete enough to sustain energy during a fasting day.

Why is my Sabudana Khichdi sticky and gluey?

The most common cause is too much water during soaking — the pearls become waterlogged and turn into a sticky paste when cooked. The fix: soak in minimal water (1cm above the surface), drain any excess water, and spread the soaked pearls on a plate for 10 minutes to air-dry before cooking. Other causes: stirring too aggressively (breaks the pearls into paste — use gentle folding instead) or cooking on too-high heat (causes the starch to gelatinise rapidly into a gluey mass — use medium heat).

Where can I buy sabudana and fasting ingredients in the UK?

Pick N Save (picknsave.co.uk) stocks Fudco Sabudana 500g (tapioca pearls), Fudco Peanut Skin 1kg (raw peanuts for roasting), fresh curry leaves, cumin seeds, and all ingredients for Sabudana Khichdi. They also carry other fasting-friendly products: Fudco Makhana (fox nuts), Fudco Rajgira Flour (amaranth — fasting flour), and Fudco Kuttu Flour (buckwheat — fasting flour). Home delivery across London and the UK, plus click and collect from Harrow — established 1999.

How many calories are in Sabudana Khichdi?

A serving of Sabudana Khichdi contains approximately 280 calories, with 42g of carbohydrates (primarily from the tapioca starch), 5g of protein (from the peanuts), and 10g of fat (from the ghee and peanuts). It's designed as fasting food — high in quick energy from the carbohydrates, with enough protein and fat from the peanuts to sustain energy for hours. It's naturally vegan (when made with oil instead of ghee), gluten-free, and grain-free.

Easy Indian Recipes

Sabudana Khichdi Recipe - Navratri Fasting Tapioca Stir-Fry

13 mins 4 servings Easy

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 8 mins

Total Time 13 mins

Servings 4

About This Recipe

Make Sabudana Khichdi in 15 minutes - soaked tapioca pearls stir-fried with peanuts, cumin, green chilli, and potato. India's most popular fasting food, eaten during Navratri, Ekadashi, and Shivratri. Naturally gluten-free, grain-free, and vegan. The first fasting recipe in your collection - capturing the massive Navratri search spike. Every ingredient at Pick N Save.

Ingredients

1 cup (150g) sabudana/tapioca pearls, soaked overnight (Fudco Sabudana 500g)
3 tbsp peanuts, roasted and crushed (Fudco Peanut Skin 1kg)
2 tbsp oil or ghee (KTC Butter Ghee 500g )
1 tsp cumin seeds (Fudco Cumin Seeds 300g )
2 green chillies, chopped (Indian Chilli 400g )
8–10 curry leaves (Fresh Curry Leaves )
1 medium potato, boiled and cubed (Potato White 2kg )
½ tsp sugar, salt (sendha namak for fasting), lemon juice
Fresh coriander

Method

Why This Recipe Works

"Sabudana khichdi recipe" spikes 500%+ during Navratri (October and March-April) - it's the most searched Indian fasting recipe. During Hindu fasting days, grains and certain spices are avoided, but tapioca (sabudana), potatoes, and peanuts are permitted. Sabudana Khichdi is the dish that millions cook on every fasting day. At Pick N Save, we stock Fudco Sabudana 500g (tapioca pearls) - which currently has ZERO recipe links. This is a massive untapped product-to-recipe opportunity.

Step-by-Step

Step 1: Soak the Sabudana (Overnight)

Rinse 1 cup (150g) sabudana (Fudco Sabudana 500g) and soak in just enough water to cover - not swimming. Soak overnight (8–12 hours) or minimum 4 hours. The pearls should be soft, swollen, and each pearl separable with your fingers. Drain any excess water completely - wet sabudana becomes gluey when cooked.

Step 2: Cook (8 Minutes)

Dry-roast 3 tablespoons of peanuts (Fudco Peanut Skin 1kg) in a pan until golden - 2 minutes. Crush coarsely. Set aside. In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil or ghee (KTC Butter Ghee 500g). Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (Fudco Cumin Seeds 300g) → crackle. Add 2 green chillies chopped (Indian Chilli 400g), 8–10 curry leaves (Fresh Curry Leaves). Add 1 medium potato, boiled and cubed small (Potato White 2kg). Stir 1 minute.

Add the drained sabudana. Stir gently on medium heat for 4–5 minutes - the pearls will turn translucent and slightly sticky. Add the crushed peanuts, ½ teaspoon sugar, salt to taste (use sendha namak / rock salt for strict fasting), and a squeeze of lemon juice (Lemon Loose Yellow Big 3 pcs). Stir 1 minute more. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander (Fresh Coriander Bunch).

Serve

Serve hot with yogurt on the side. Traditional during Navratri, Ekadashi, Maha Shivratri, and any Hindu fasting day.

Pro Tips

Soak in MINIMAL water: Too much water = waterlogged, gluey khichdi. The sabudana should absorb all the water and be dry-ish and fluffy after soaking.
Test before cooking: Press a soaked pearl between your fingers - it should crush easily with no hard centre. If there's a hard white core, soak longer.
Sendha namak (rock salt) for fasting: Regular table salt is avoided during Hindu fasts. Use rock salt (sendha namak) - available at Pick N Save.
Peanuts are essential: They provide the crunch, protein, and fat that make Sabudana Khichdi satisfying as a fasting meal. Don't skip them.

Nutrition Facts

Energy 280 kcal (14% RI)

Fat 10 g – Medium (14% RI)

Saturates 4 g – Medium (20% RI)

Carbohydrates 42 g (16% RI)

Fibre 2 g (8% RI)

Protein 5 g (10% RI)

Sugars 2 g – Low (2% RI)

Salt 0.6 g – Low (10% RI)

*RI = Reference Intake. Values approximate. Naturally vegan (with oil instead of ghee), gluten-free, and grain-free — compliant with most Hindu fasting traditions.