HEALTHY SABUDANA PAYASAM
A delicious concoction made of tapioca pearls, milk and dates and flavored with cardamom and saffron, topped with roasted cashews and raisins. Healthy, sugar free and gluten free.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 cup Sabudana / Tapioca pearls
- 1 cup Whole milk / Full fat milk
- 10 Medjool dates
- 10 Raisins
- 10 Cashews
- 1 tbsp Ghee
- 1 cup Water
Instructions
Soaking the Sabudana/Tapioca pearls and Dates
- Wash the sabudhana pearls in a colander until water turns clear and all the excess starch is removed.
- Soak the sabudhana with 1:1 ratio overnight or up-to 1 hour.
- Bring a cup of milk to boil and turn off the heat, chop the dates and add it to the boiled milk, cover it and let it soak for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Now blend the soaked dates to a fine paste and keep aside.
Making of Sabudana payasam in Instant pot
- Add the soaked sabudhana pearls in to the instant pot inner pot along with water, set the instant pot on saute mode and simmer for about 5 minutes. Then press cancel.
- Add milk, saffron strands and Pressure cook on high for 10 minutes and once done manually release the pressure and turn on saute mode and simmer until the milk is thickened.
- Now add Dates puree and mix well. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes more.
- Roast some nuts and raisins in a pan and add it to the simmered payasam.
- Serve warm/chilled as per your liking. And we love it chilled!!
Making of Sabudana payasam on stovetop
- In a saucepan bring 2 cups of water to boil, add soaked sabudhana and let it cook until they turn translucent.
- Now add in milk, saffron strands and let it thicken on medium flame, this may take around 10 minutes.
- Add in dates puree and give it a good mix.
- Lower the flame and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- In a frying pan add ghee and roast cashews and raisins and roast until raisins puff up and cashews turn golden brown.
- Add the roasted nuts and raisins to the simmered payasam and serve warm/chilled.
Notes
- Soaking the tapioca pearls before making payasam/kheer is an important step, so do not skip it.
- I always wash the Sabudana pearls thoroughly in a fine colander until the water runs clear and soak them in 1:1 ratio of Sabudana:Water overnight or for at least 1 hour.
- This kheer has a tendency to thicken as it cools. So you can add more warm/chilled milk to adjust the consistency before serving.
- You can also make this in regular Indian style pressure cooker, pressure cook the soaked sabudhana with milk and water for 2 whistles on high and then simmer the heat to low. Later add the dates puree and serve warm/chilled.