Tapioca Pearl Milk Pudding (Sabudana Kheer)
Sabudana Kheer is one of the easiest Indian desserts in my repertoire. It requires only four essential ingredients, apart from the nuts and raisins. Tapioca pearls are first soaked in water, then slow-cooked in whole milk until they become soft, yielding and gelatinous. The starch from the tapioca pearls acts as a thickener making the kheer creamy and luscious. The nuts and raisins are optional, but recommended because they provide textural contrast. Cut fresh fruit like banana, mango, pomegranate, pineapple and grapes can also be added after the kheer is cooked. This pudding is as delicious as it is simple. Everyone who has eaten it has loved it.
Recipe
Tapioca Pearl Milk Pudding
(Makes 4 servings)
Ingredients
1/2 cup medium-sized tapioca pearls (sabudana)
2 cups water
4 cups milk (full fat milk works best)
1 tbsp cashew bits
1 tbsp almonds flakes
2 tbsp raisins
1/3-1/2 cup sugar or powdered jaggery (adjust the quantity according to taste)
1/2 tsp ground green cardamom
Method
Rinse and soak the tapioca pearls in two cups of water for an hour. Drain and set aside.
In a deep, heavy-based pan, bring the milk to a boil over medium heat. Once the milk boils, lower the heat and mix in the tapioca, cashews, almonds and raisins and stir for a few minutes.
Turn the heat back up to medium-low and cook the mixture, scraping down the sides of the pan and stirring often (to prevent the milk from boiling over or catching at the bottom of the pan), until the tapioca pearls turn translucent and are cooked through. Depending upon the size and quality of the tapioca pearls, this could take up to 25 minutes (lower the heat as the kheer thickens).
Add the sugar and stir well to dissolve. Taste and add more sugar id desired (if using jaggery, allow the pudding to cool before adding it). Continue to cook the pudding, stirring frequently, until it thickens a little more (bear in mind that it will thicker even more upon cooling). Stir in the ground cardamom and remove from heat.
Enjoy the sabudana kheer warm or allow it to come to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled (this is how I prefer to eat it).
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container.
