Sabbakki uppittu / Sabudana upma/ Sago Kichadi

Whenever I find something new and interesting to make, I end up googling for the same recipe and check for the consistency in the recipe among different bloggers... what were their experiences, their tips and tricks, and then make my own “kichadi” of those recipes picking bits and pieces I think might work for me(read - easy for me :) ). But then I don’t write it down immediately, I forget, and then beat myself up for not taking notes in time. This sabbakki kichadi recipe is thankfully consistent through many blogs. So I don’t have to worry about which one I followed or what changes I made.

Sabbakki has got to be one of the cutest foods out there... those pearly texture makes it irresistible, at least visually :)

My daughter was so drawn to it that she kept on pestering me to give it to taste even before it was cooked.. "those ball things” as she calls them. 

Apart from soaking time, everything else could be made in a jiffy. So, if you soak sabbakki overnight, then this kichadi is great for quick morning breakfasts. My little one didn’t like the taste of it though, because she thought it was chewy!! God! so many preferences!! 

Ingredients

(measurements are according to the original recipe, I ballpark-ed everything)

Sabbakki/Sabudana 1 1/2 cup

Potato - 1/2 cup - cubed

Dry roasted peanuts(crushed coarsely) - 1/2 cup - I just put them in tadka

Salt

Sugar

cilantro

lemon juice

for the tadka

mustard
jeera
split channa dal

curry leaves

green chillies - more the better

Method

Wash sabbaki, and soak it in water overnight or for 4-5 hrs. The water should just cover the top. Fluff it with a fork once in a while. 

Boil potatoes until done and drain the water.

Make tadka with some oil, jeera, green chillies, curry leaves and peanuts(original recipe requires you to roast the peanuts and then crush them coarsely).

Add potatoes, sabbakki, some salt and sugar. Cover and cook for a while. Sabbakki becomes translucent when done. 

Add lemon juice. Garnish with cilantro.

This tastes best when it’s hot. After cooling down, it becomes chewy. It’s very filling too. 

Here's a picture of sabbakki kichadi and sabbakki kheer. This kichadi, apparently, is taken when someone is observing fast. 

I am adding a new feature from this post onwards called ‘Toddler Verdict’. I’ll document how my 4 year old takes to these recipes, so that anybody who’s making it for their children will know what to expect :) Of course, all children’s taste buds need not be the same, but I believe that there are some general guidelines with which most of them operate. Like for example - no vegetables, yes chocolates!.. no healthy food, yes junk food! etc..
Updated to add - I'll only be doing this for kid friendly recipes, or lunch box recipes.

So, here it is -

Toddler Verdict - She liked the texture, so she managed to eat some before she declared that it was way too chewy for her. 

Recipe Source - http://redchillies.us/2013/03/08/sabudana-khichidi-sago-upma-and-word-about-foodworld/#more-6668