Sabudana Khichdi

Ingredients

• 1½ cups sabudana (tapioca pearls), medium size
• ¾ cup water, for soaking, plus more for rinsing
• ½ cup raw peanuts
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
• 3 tbsp ghee or oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 10 curry leaves (optional)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh grated coconut (optional)

Instructions

1. Place the sabudana in a bowl and rinse under cold water, swirling with your hand, until the water runs almost clear. Drain well in a colander.
2. Return the drained sabudana to the bowl and add 0.75 cup water so it just covers the pearls. Cover and leave for 4 to 6 hours or overnight. Do not add more water or they will turn gluey.
3. Check that the pearls are ready: press one between your fingers and it should squash easily with no hard white centre. If a few are still firm, sprinkle with 1 to 2 tbsp water and rest 30 minutes more.
4. Dry-roast the peanuts in a small pan over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, shaking often, until they have brown spots and smell nutty. Cool, rub off most skins, and crush coarsely.
5. Gently mix the crushed peanuts, sugar and salt into the soaked sabudana with a fork, keeping the pearls separate.
6. Heat the ghee in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 20 to 30 seconds, then add the green chillies and curry leaves.
7. Add the potato cubes with a splash of water, cover and cook on medium-low for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until a knife slides in easily and the edges are lightly golden.
8. Add the sabudana mixture and toss gently over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. It is done when the pearls turn translucent and feel soft and bouncy, not sticky. Avoid high heat and heavy stirring.
9. Turn off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and coriander, and top with coconut if using. Taste and adjust salt. Serve hot.

Tips

• Rinse until the water is clear. Surface starch is the main cause of clumpy khichdi.
• Use only just enough water to cover the pearls when soaking. Brands vary, so test one pearl before cooking.
• Cook on moderate heat and stir gently. Once the pearls turn translucent, stop cooking so they do not go rubbery.
• Add the salt to the sabudana just before cooking, not during soaking, so the pearls stay loose.