TAPIOCA PEARLS STIR FRY/SABUDHANA KICHIDI
The first time I ever heard of Tapioca which is basically a root starch derived from the cassava or yuca plant, which is a native of Brazil but spread worldwide was from a friend.My friend spoke about “Kappa & meen curry” coming from Kerala,it was her favourite food,me who had no idea what “Kappa” meant understood it as “Kappae” the Thulu( language widely spoken in Mangalore)word which meant frogs.So i thought probably she tasted frogs with the” meen”/fish curry, little did I know it was a root plant having never seen it before.Then I got to taste it,it looked more like mashed potatoes with fish curry on it,I liked the fish curry better than the Tapioca/Kappa itself.Next time I heard it was from a friend from Bangalore who recited “Sabudhana” like it was her mantra,I had no idea they were one & the same, coz in my mind I was visualising something that looked like Mughal Biryani.Then came a Maharastrian friend who said,this was an austere food eaten during fasting.Having never tasted it before, I decided to follow a book recipe,since I bought Sabhudana/Tapioca pearls in the Indian store wanting to try a new recipe with that.
An intersting fact about Sabudana/Tapioca pearls beings so constantly confused with a similar looking food called Sago ,is that while Tapioca/Sabudhana is derived from the tubers of cassava or yuca plant(Manihot esculenta), Sago is derived from the Sago palm(Metroxylon Sagu) which are two completely different plants.This stir fry preparation of Tapioca pearls/Sabudhana is consumed vastly in Maharastra & is a poular food/snack during fasting,perhaps owing to its starchy nature which also feels very light when consumed.
Table of Contents
Tapioca Pearls Stir -Fry/Sabudhana Khichidi
Ingredients
2 cups 2 Sabudhana/Tapioaca pearls ( soaked in water overnight)
3 tbsp 3 Ghee
1 tbsp 1 Jeera/Cumin seeds
4 4 -5 green chillies ( thinly sliced)
Peanuts a handful
1 1 Potato (small cubes)
1/2 1/2 bunch Cilantro
1/2 tsp 1/2 Turmeric powder
Salt- to taste
1 tsp 1 Sugar
2 tsp 2 Lime juice
Directions
- Soak the Sabudhana/Tapioca pearls in water overnight.Drain & keep aside before starting to cook.
- Heat the ghee in a wok, now add the cumin seeds & the green chillies ,when they splutter add the peanuts & fry a little, (some like to powder the peanuts, instead of whole peanuts, one can choose according to one’s preference).Then to this add the cubed potatoes & stir a little,till they turn soft.
- Now add the drained Sabudhana/Tapioca pearls along with the turmeric powder & stir a little.
- Add the salt & sugar, before garnishing with cilantro & sprinking lime juice,then stir the mix once more & fluff it, before you switch off the heat.
- Serve hot & enjoy.
Notes
- Do not use ghee or oil in excess since the pearls tend to stick together & become mushy .
- Drain the water completely from soaked pearls otherwise they tend to clumptogether when you cook.
- Some like the powdered peanuts coating the pearls instead of crunchy whole peanuts.
