Simple but heart-warming, this creamy kheer made with sabudana or javvarisi (sago pearls) is easy to make and absolutely delicious.
I know you haven’t heard from me in a while. The last week was a bit busy and stressful. On top of that, my external hard drive conked after a freak power outage. It had my blog photos, drafts and not to mention, my personal photos too. Right now, I am awaiting the return of my electronics guy – my hubby (he’s away on a work trip)! I sincerely hope that he can salvage it, and not all is lost. In the meantime, I was able to retrieve a couple of draft posts and pics from my computer’s cache. And before luck turns on me again, I am going to post them one by one.
Enough of my bad luck stories, let’s get to today’s recipe. Kheer is an Indian favorite, and I am yet to come across anyone who doesn’t like it in some form or the other. Whether it is the rich milky kheer popular in North Indian cuisine or the fragrant coconut milk and jaggery based payasam from South Indian cuisine, this humble Indian dessert takes on many forms and is a crowd-pleaser.
Kheer or payasam is very simple to make and doesn’t involve any special techniques. You just need a bit of patience to thicken the milk to a rich, creamy consistency. Kheer can be made with rice, lentils, fruits and nuts, but today’s recipe uses another popular ingredient.
Sabudana (in Hindi) or javvarisi (in Tamil) are little sago starch pearls. Simply soak them for a while and cook with water until the pearls turn translucent and soft. It is further cooked with milk, sugar and a pinch of pounded green cardamom to make a delicious but simple dessert. Sabudana kheer or javvarisi payasam is really simple and quick because the starchy, gelatinous pearls act as a natural thickening agent. In fact, you must take care not to reduce the milk too much, because the sago pearls pudding will continue to thicken as it cools. If that happens, simply stir in some warm milk to loosen it.
Since the kheer itself is so simple, I have decorated it richly with nuts, rose petals and saffron strands. You can leave it plain also. In fact, a simple version is often fed to little kids and babies as a light food.
Here’s the easy recipe for Sabudana Kheer/Javvarisi Payasam.
- Sabudana (javvarisi or sago pearls) - ½ cup
- Water - 2 cups
- Whole milk - 2 cups, warm
- Sugar - ⅓ - ½ cup (as per taste)
- Cardamom powder - ¼ tsp
- Rose water - ¼ tsp
- Saffron - a small pinch
- Pistachios or almonds - 8-10, chopped
- Dried rose petals - for garnish (optional)
- Wash the sabudana or sago pearls in water 3-4 times or until the water runs relatively clear. Soak sabudana in 2 cups of water for at least 20 minutes.
- Take sabudana and water in a medium saucepan and cook on medium heat until they begin to turn translucent.
- Add warm milk and continue cooking until all the sabudana are cooked and soft. The sago pearls will rise to the surface once cooked. Keep stirring often to prevent milk from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add sugar and cardamom powder and simmer until the kheer thickens slightly, not more than 25-30 minutes of overall cooking time. Stir the kheer once in a while.
- When almost done, stir in rose-water and saffron. Remove kheer from heat and serve immediately or cool it slightly before serving. Garnish with chopped nuts and dried rose petals, if desired.
- Store leftover kheer in the refrigerator. If kheer has thickened too much, warm it with a few spoons of milk before serving.
Enjoy warm sabudana kheer as a light dessert after dinner or serve it to your friends and family on special occasions.
Save this easy kheer recipe for the upcoming Holi festival. It doesn’t take long to make and is loved by everyone!
I hope you will try this easy Indian dessert recipe and let me know how you like it. Sago pearls are commonly available in Asian/Indian grocery stores.
Don’t forget to PIN & SAVE this recipe for later.
Do you like kheer? Which is your favorite one? Do share with me in the comments.
Here are a few other kheer recipes from the blog for you to try.
- Slow-cooker brown rice & jaggery kheer
- Paneer badam kheer
- Vermicelli kheer (semiya payasam)
- Apple-paneer kheer
- Poha-sabudana (flattened rice & sago) kheer
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I am sharing this over at Fiesta Friday.
Nice recipe.. I must plan this for my fiance. hope he will like this..
thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Awesome! I hope you guys enjoy this recipe!!