About Sabudana Kheer

Like I mentioned earlier, Sabudana Kheer is basically an Indian sweet pudding, in which the main ingredient is sago or tapioca pearls (sabudana).

In addition to this, it also has whole milk, sugar and flavorings like green cardamom powder, nuts and saffron that results in a yummy dessert. You can also call it as Sago Kheer, Sago Pudding, Tapioca Kheer or Tapioca Pudding.

My Sabudana Kheer recipe is super easy and simple to prepare. This is also our family’s favorite kheer and we make it very often. We also make this sago kheer during our vrat days for the festival of Navratri.

Obviously, I have learned to make Sabudana Kheer from my family and so, this recipe too is a keeper recipe – one we have been making for many years. This sweet dish is quite popular as fasting food during many religious festivals in India.

In this recipe, I cook the sabudana pearls in water first, which helps in cooking them faster in the later stages when milk is added. You can choose to cook the sago pearls in milk, but it will take more time.

After the milk is added, the sabudana is slowly simmered further, which softens the sago completely by breaking some of the tapioca pearls.

This process releases the starch from the sabudana which helps in thickening the kheer too. The end result is a creamy, smooth delicious Sabudana Kheer.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Sabudana Kheer

1. Rinse ½ cup sabudana (sago) for few times in running water until the water runs clear of starch.

Soak it in 2 cups of fresh clean filtered water for 15 to 20 minutes in a thick bottomed pan or a saucepan.

My method is extremely helpful and handy if you have forgotten to soak sabudana.



2. Place this pan on your stovetop and cook sabudana until you see the pearls starting to float on top. They loose their denseness and become light.

The opaqueness in the tapioca pearls gives way to translucency and they start swelling up. This takes about 5 to 6 minutes on low to medium heat.



3. Next, add 2 cups whole milk, ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder and stir.



4.  Add 4 to 5 tablespoons raw sugar or as needed according to your taste preferences. You can also add white granulated instead.



5. Continue to simmer till the sabudana pearls have softened well and the kheer has thickened. This takes about 20 to 25 minutes on low to medium heat. 

Stir often, so that the kheer or sabudana does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Some of the tapioca pearls would break too and also help in the thickening of the kheer.

These sago pearls are plain starch and this helps in the thickening. Turn off the heat and add cashews and raisins or choose to add your preferred nuts.



6. Serve the creamy Sabudana Kheer hot, warm or chilled. If you want, you can garnish the kheer with a few saffron strands or some chopped cashews.