Sabudana kheer, also called sago payasam in the South, is usually the first sweet made when the fast begins. The pearls cook in milk until they turn clear and soft, and the starch they release thickens the kheer without any rice.
Larger pearls suit kheer best because they hold their shape and give each spoonful a gentle bite. Some families sweeten fasting sweets with jaggery or keep milk dishes for particular days, so adjust to whatever your household follows.
Ingredients
- 60g (a third of a cup) Niru sago (450g)
- 1 litre whole milk
- 5 tbsp sugar
- Half tsp Fudco cardamom seeds (75g), crushed
- 15 Fudco cashew nuts (100g), halved
- 2 tbsp East End Abjosh jumbo raisins (100g)
- A few strands of saffron (optional)
Method
- Rinse the sago twice in cold water to wash off loose starch. Cover with 250ml of fresh water and soak for 1 hour, until the pearls have swollen and turned opaque. Drain off any water that remains.
- Abjosh raisins carry seeds. Slit each one with a small knife and flick the seeds out, then set the raisins aside.
- Toast the cashews in a small dry pan over a low flame for 3 to 4 minutes, shaking the pan, until pale gold. Tip onto a plate to stop them colouring further.
- Bring the milk to the boil in a heavy pan. Add the soaked sago, stir well and turn the heat down to a gentle simmer.
- Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes and scraping the base of the pan, until the pearls are clear all the way through with no white dot in the centre. Sago settles and catches easily, so do not leave it for long.
- Stir in the sugar, cardamom, raisins and saffron, if using, and simmer for 5 more minutes so the raisins plump up.
- Scatter the cashews over the top and serve warm, or chill for a few hours.
Cook's notes
Add the sugar only once the pearls are fully clear. Sugar added too early firms the outside of the sago and the centres stay hard however long you cook them. Sabudana kheer thickens a lot as it cools, almost to a set pudding, so loosen it with a little warm or cold milk before serving. It keeps for two days in the fridge.
If you only have small sago in the cupboard, it works too: soak it for 30 minutes and expect it to cook in 12 to 15 minutes. The kheer will be smoother and less pearly, closer to the South Indian payasam. For a richer version, stir in 2 tbsp of full cream milk powder with the sugar, or finish each bowl with a spoon of thick cream. A few soaked saffron strands added at the end turn the kheer a pale gold and make it feel more festive for the Ashtami and Navami meals, when there are often guests at the table.
