Name: Saggubiyyam Payasam / Sabudana Kheer / Sago & Milk Pudding
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: ½ cup Saggubiyyam / Sabudana / Sago; ½ cup Sugar / Jaggery; 2½ cups Milk; ¼ cup Desiccated Coconut / Fresh Grated Coconut; 10 count Raisins / Kishmish; 10 count Cashew Nuts; 10 count Almonds; 3 tablespoons Ghee / Butter; 4 count Cardamom pods (powder); few strands Saffron / Kesar; 1 cup Water

Recipe Cooked, Photographed and Written by Praveena

PrepTime:30 mins CookTime:15 mins Cuisine:Indian

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Payasam is the Telugu (a South Indian Language) word for a an age old traditional Indian sweet dish/dessert, that is made with any rice or lentil that’s cooked with milk , sweetened with sugar or jaggery, and then topped with dry fruits & nuts fried in ghee or butter.

This Payasam or Kheer (as called in Hindi) is a Sabudana/sago based one which needs more time when compared to other varieties, for the additional time is taken for soaking.

Saggubiyyam Payasam / Sabudana kheer. South Indian style traditional festival dessert, using fresh sago seeds & milk as main ingredients.

Possible alterations for the recipe, ‘Saggubiyyam Payasam / Sabudana Kheer’:

Using Jaggery: Yes, its possible to use jaggery / gud in the place of sugar. In that case, just remember these 2 points.

Tips while using jaggery/gud: One being, use only grated or powdered jaggery. Next one is, just before adding the grated jaggery to the pan, switch the flame off. If not there are bright chances of the milk to get curdled.

To skip desiccate coconut: I have added it, only to thicken the kheer and to give that nutty taste in every spoon. The dessert tastes great even without adding it too.

Adding lentils / dal: If you wish to make the dessert protein packed, you might add ½ cup of cooked chana dal / split yellow lentils. Just add them to the pan, along with the sabudana / sago.

To make the dessert nut free, avoid using any nuts in the recipe. Instead you can use dry fruits.

Vegan options: Vegans will have to use almond milk or coconut milk to make the recipe suitable for vegan diet.

Health Benefits of ‘Sabudana Kheer / Saggubiyyam Payasam / Sago Pudding with Milk’:

Sabudana/ Saggubiyyam/ Sago seeds, are rich in starch, low in fat, useful for weight loss. But on the contrary, they do not have any essential nutrients. So, they are in general used along with any other nutritional ingredient.

Being seeds, this Sabudana / Sago kheer recipe is very much fits into Indian style fasting food during festivals.

As per Indian ayurvedic home remedies, boiled Sabudana / Sago seeds, are specifically given as a remedy to stop excess stools/poo, even in infants.

Milk, is rich in calcium, Vitamin D and for healthy bones.

To conclude, this dessert recipe is not so nutrient rich, except for the sake of using sabudana / sago in the form of a sweet dish.

Other recipes from my blog:

Before starting to cook, don’t forget to see the Tips mentioned at the end.

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Ingredients:

Saggubiyyam /Sabudana /Sago – ½ cup
Sugar / Jaggery – ½ cup
Milk – 2½ cups
Desiccated Coconut / Fresh Grated Coconut – ¼ cup
Raisins / Kishmish – 10
Cashew Nuts – 10
Almonds – 10
Ghee / Butter – 3 tablespoons
Cardamom pods (powder) – 4
Saffron / Kesar – few strands
Water – 1 cup

Special Ingredients:

Saffron
Ghee / Butter

Step Wise Pics Procedure for ‘Saggubiyyam Payasam / Sago Kheer / Sabudana Kheer’:

Prep Work:

sabudana soaked in water before making saggubiyyam payasam/kheer — *First, take the sabudana/sago wash them couple of times.* *Fill it with water (¾ cup) and set it aside for 30 mins*. Exclude the water before using.

Cooking:

Ghee,Dry fruits & nuts in a thick bottomed vessel

***In the same pan add the milk, bring it boil, might take upto 7-8 mins*. *Once the milk is half boiled add the saffron strands and the powdered cardamom.*** **Give a stir, and add the soaked sabudana/sago (exclude the soaked water).**

*Let the sabudaana/sago cook along with milk, until the sabudaana/sago seeds becomes transparent. (might take 7-8 mins) Keep mixing in between.* *Then add the desiccated/fresh grated coconut, mix everything and let the content thicken.*

*When the content in the pan thickens, add the sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee/butter.* *Gently mix the whole content from bottom and let the vessel be on stove until the sugar is melted completely. This might take 1-2 mins.*

***Later, switch the flame off & remove the vessel from stove top.* *Garnish with fried dry fruits & nuts and serve.***

Tips:

Whatever might be the size of your cup, the ratio of the ingredients would be the same.
You can eliminate adding the ghee to the recipe (except for frying the dry fruits).
If you are a vegan you can use a non-dairy (plant based) milk , butter.
Don’t worry if you have added more milk, the sabudana/sago would absorb the milk and make the outcome thick and creamy after a while.
You can add either sugar or jaggery as sweetener, either of them tastes good.
You can add any dry fruits and nuts of your choice.
This sweet dish can be served hot or chilled too.
Storage: This dessert stays good at room temperature for one day but stays good upto 3-4 days when refrigerated.

Result:

The taste of this, Saggubiyyam Payasam / Sabudana Kheer, dessert is very creamy and nutty.
The texture is very soft, nothing to chew/bite except for the dry fruits.

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