Sabudana (Sago Pearls) – A Fasting Favorite
Sabudana, also known as sago pearls, is a beloved ingredient during fasting days, especially during Navratri. Since grains and cereals are typically avoided during fasts, ingredients like sabudana, fox nuts (makhana), and certain millets take center stage in many kitchens.
Packed with nutrients, sabudana is delicious and highly beneficial for gut health. It’s rich in calcium, potassium, and iron, making it a wholesome addition to your diet. Thanks to its high carbohydrate content, it provides instant energy, which is why it’s especially popular during fasting. Plus, it’s gluten-free and great for heart health.
Sabudana is incredibly versatile, and it can be used to prepare both sweet and savory dishes. Some popular recipes include kheer (milk pudding), khichdi, upma, cutlets, and roti (known as thalipeeth in Maharashtra).
This time, I decided to make sabudana roti. Since sabudana on its own has a very mild flavor, I added boiled potatoes, roasted peanuts, and a few aromatic spices to enhance the taste. These ingredients are mixed together to form a soft dough.
To prepare the roti, a portion of the dough is gently flattened into a round disc and cooked on a hot tawa (griddle). With a drizzle of ghee, the roti is cooked on both sides until golden brown spots appear. The result is a flavorful, soft, and slightly crispy roti — perfect to enjoy with yogurt or a simple chutney during fasting days.
Prep Time – 5-6 hrs
Cook Time – 20 minutes
Course – Breakfast/Main
Cuisine – Indian
Type – Fasting Friendly Dish
Author – Bharti Dhawan
● INGREDIENTS REQUIRED
• Sabudana/Sago pearls – 1 cup
• Boiled potatoes – 2 large
• Raw peanuts – 3/4 cup
• Oil /ghee – 2-3 tbsp
• Sendha namak/rock salt – 1and a half tsp
• Whole cumin/Jeera – 1 tsp
• Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
• Lemon juice – from half a lemon
• Coriander leaves – 2-3 tbsp
● PREPARATIONS TO BE DONE
1 – Rinse the sago pearls twice and soak them in water for 5-6 hrs. or overnight (The water level should be one-third of your finger above the sago level)
2 – Boil potatoes. When done, Peel and grate them with the help of a grater
3 – Add raw peanuts to a pan and dry roast them at low-medium flame until their skin loosens
4 – Remove them from hot pan and allow them on a kitchen towel to cool down completely
5 – Rub them in between the folds of kitchen towel to allow the skin to get separated.
6 – Add the roasted peanuts to a grinder to grind them into coarse powder
● HOW TO MAKE SABUDANA -ALOO ROTI/THALIPEETH
1 – Take a mixing bowl and add all the ingredients one by one like soaked sabudana/sago pearls, grated boiled potatoes, peanut powder, whole cumin, salt, and red chilly flakes
2 – Combine all the ingredients nicely and add chopped coriander leaves
3 – Combine well and make a dough. Allow the dough at rest for 10 minutes
4 – Take a portion of the dough and roll it into a ball
5 – Spread a cling film sheet on a hard surface. Place the dough ball on it. Cover with another sheet and spread a little with your fingers firstly
6 – Now spread it round with a rolling pin (belan)
7 – Transfer the roti on a hot pan and cook applying ghee on both side
8 – When roti is cooked to perfection and get golden marks on both sides, remove it from the pan
9 – Make all sabudana-aloo roti like this and serve with plain curd on a fasting day
● YOU MAY ALSO LIKE A FEW MORE FASTING RECIPES
SAGO-MANGO PUDDING/SABUDANA-MANGO KHEER
SAMAK RICE PULAO/ BARNYARD MILLET PULAO
SAMAK IDLI /IDLI RECIPE WITH BARNYARD FLOUR
