SAGO PEARLS RECIPE - SAGO MILK KHEER / SABUDANA PAYASAM

SAGO PUDDING / KHEER RECIPE

Do you know that traditional Indian medicine uses sago in combination with rice to cool the body?, Though Sago pearls resemble tapioca pearls, they are different. But you can substitute tapioca for sago in many recipes. Sago is very similar to tapioca in its taste and look. Sago is a starch taken from the center of sago palm stems. Sago is the main staple of many traditional communities like New guinea, Maluku and like so. Some of the dishes that use sago are pempek, ambuyat, noodles, white bread, sago plum pudding, keropok Lekor etc.

RECIPE SHOWING HOW TO MAKE SAGO PUDDING

INGREDIENTS

Sago / Sabudana   - half a cup

Cardamom (green)- 2 nos, crushed or can use cardamom powder

Saffron                  - few strands, optional, for nice texture

Milk                      - 2 .5 cups

Sweet condensed milk   - 3 tbsp

Sugar                             - half a cup

Salt                                - quarter tsp, to balance taste

For garnishing

Nuts  chopped (i used cashews, almonds) as required

Raisins as required

Ghee           - 1 tbsp

PREPARATION

• Wash the sago thoroughly before soaking in water. Then soak them in fresh water for 2 hours. Sago doubles in size when soaked in water.
• Then cook the soaked sago in lots of water for few minutes (until half done). Then drain it in a colander, wash with fresh water and again drain the excess water. Set aside. 
• Now boil the milk along with crushed cardamom in a sauce pan which will give you a nice flavor (you can also add cardamom powder instead). When milk reaches its boiling point, add the cooked sago. Keep stirring over a medium flame. Simmer the flame and let it cook for few minutes or until sago is completely done.
•  To this, add saffron strands(mixed in 1 tsp of hot milk). It gives a nice texture.
•  When done, add in condensed milk, sugar, salt and combine well.
• Let it cook over a low flame for 5 minutes. Remove from flame.
• Heat a pan with ghee and fry the nuts and raisins until golden.
• Add this over the prepared sago pudding/kheer/payasam. Mix well.
• This kheer/payasam will get thickened soon. If so here is a tip. Add half a cup of hot water just before serving. Give a fine mix. No need of heating the whole sago pudding.
• Serve hot or warm.