Sabudana Kheer (Tapioca Pudding)
WITH LOVE & MASALAS by Barkha Cardoz with Jacqueline Raposo on a yellow surface with flowers and a flowered napkin nearby.
This recipe is a preview from With Love & Masalas: Everyday Indian Recipes from My Kitchen to Yours. Get it on November 19th from Burlap & Barrel, or click here for more sneak peaks!
This straightforward Sabudana Kheer is a milky pudding with a slightly chewy texture complemented by crunchy nuts and a sweet-spicy fragrance. I make it almost every year for Diwali, serving it lukewarm and scooping it up with bite-sized pieces of pooris—savory pooris and sweet kheer are a perfect match! It tastes equally delicious hot and cold. One of our testers even topped it with fresh mango and banana for breakfast!
If tapioca doesn’t appeal, use short-grained rice instead—the process is the same! I like the texture of slightly-softened nuts, so I add some to the cooked pudding and then garnish with the rest. Floyd liked them all crunchy. So adjust for your personal preference!
— Barkha Cardoz
Course: Dessert
Prep Time: 10 minutes, plus 1-2 hours inactive
Cooking Time: 45-60 minutes
Masalas Needed: Garam Masala
Barkha heat index: 0
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup sabudana (tapioca pearls) or short-grained rice
8-10 saffron threads
4 cups whole milk, plus a few extra tablespoons
¼ tsp crushed cardamom seeds
¾ cup sugar
¼ tsp Garam Masala, plus more to taste
¼ cup chopped nuts (like almonds, pistachios, cashews)
DIRECTIONS:
Place the tapioca in a sieve and gently rinse it under running water until the water comes clear. Then pour it into a large bowl, cover it with an inch or two of fresh water, and soak for 1-2 hours (max). Strain and hold until ready to use.
Put the saffron threads in a small bowl. Warm a few tablespoons of milk and pour over the saffron threads so that they soak and release their color—about 10 minutes. (They can stay until you’re ready to add them below.)
Place a large, deep, heavy-bottomed sauté pan on medium heat. Add the rest of the milk and bring it to a boil, stirring often so that it doesn't scald. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Stir in the soaked saffron strands (with their soaking milk) and a sprinkling of the crushed cardamom seeds. Then add the tapioca pearls (or rice) and simmer, stirring constantly, until translucent—about 20 minutes.
If the pudding starts to become too thick, warm some more milk and stir it in a few tablespoons at a time, letting it incorporate completely before adding more. Stir in the sugar, taste, and add more sugar if desired. (If you plan to serve this cold, the sweetness will diminish a bit when chilled.)
Add the remaining cardamom seeds, the Garam Masala, and half of the chopped nuts (if desired) and simmer for about 2-3 minutes so that the spices incorporate.
Serve warm (or lukewarm), garnishing with the remaining chopped nuts. Or cool and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator, then serve cold. The pudding will thicken as it cools, given the starchy element. To reheat, warm it on the stove with more milk until it reaches your desired consistency, and add extra sugar as needed.
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