Tapioca Pearl Stir-fry/Sabudana Kichdi/Javvarisi Upma

Perfectly cooked pearls - looks like a bowl of savory and delicious dipping dots - that's how it looks like. This is how I would describe this. This tasty dish is popularly called Sabudana Khichdi which we call as Javvarisi Upma in our home. It is light, fluffy, savory, spicy, nutty - all in one. This is packed with flavors. Soft and light with glassy individual tapioca pearls is a bowl of comfort with a bite of potato here and there. This makes a perfect brunch with tea, coffee, chaas, or juice. 

It is very simple to make.  There is one major step which needs to be taken care off. Soaking the tapioca pearls in right amount of water. This helps in making perfect khichdi. Each individual pearl should be separate and this should be mushy at all. When it cooks, it will cook in the steam and no water is necessary to cook. That's the magic! So, soaking perfectly helps in making it better. For years I had difficulty in making this until a few years back. I looked how one of our family friend made when we were at their home and from that day we had perfectly made sabudana khichdi. This is a favorite one for us and we would eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This is a perfect brunch for weekends.

Christie of A Kitchen Hoor's Adventure is hosting "Favorite Brunch" in our "Our Family Table" group, as Mother's Day is around the corner. This sabudana khichdi is my mom's favorite. She loved when I make for her and enjoys it thoroughly. I love it and my daughter loves this too. It is a favorite dish to girls in three generations. This is the perfect fit for the theme. 

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Ingredients

Serves 4 -6

Sabudana / Tapioca pearls - 3 cups

Water - 1.5 - 2 cups

Salt - 2 and1/2 tsp

Serrano peppers (or Thai chili peppers) - 2-3, slit

Dried red chili pepper - 3 to 4, torn

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin - 1 tsp

Potatoes - 2 cup, cooked, dices

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 1/3 cup

Curry leaf - 1 spring

Peanuts - 3/4 cup, toasted

Method

Soak the sabudana with one and half cups water. In another half hour it would have absorbed all the water. Gently fluff up with a fork. Sprinkle the remaining water and fluff it up. Soak for about 4-5 hours.

Heat oil in a pan, add the dried red chilies, slit serrano peppers, and mustard. When mustard splutters add cumin, curry leaf and asafoetida. Fry for a minute. Add the potatoes and half teaspoon salt. Cook for a couple of minutes. 

Grind the toasted peanuts to a coarse powder.

Add the soaked tapioca pearls, peanut powder, and salt. Gently mix, cover and cook for 5-6 minutes on a low-medium flame. 

Fluff gently and continue to cook for another three minutes. At this point, they will be translucent and glassy which means they are perfectly cooked.

Switch off the flame. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Here are the quick links we shared for "More Great Brunch Recipes". Thanks, Christie!

• Avocado Toast with Egg from Making Miracles
• Chicken Chilaquiles from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Chorizo Eggs Benedict with Chipotle Hollandaise from Sweet Beginnings
• Eggs Benedict with Asparagus from Art of Natural Living
• Everything but the Bagel Breakfast Pockets from Books n' Cooks
• Hash Brown Potato Pie from Family Around the Table
• Rose Mimosa from Cheese Curd in Paradise
• Rosemary, Ham, and Parmesan Cheese Scones from Blogghetti
• Spicy Huevos Grilled Cheese from Palatable Pastime
• Spinach and Bacon Quiche with Swiss and Gruyere from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Tapioca Pearl Stir-fry/Sabudana Kichdi/Javvarisi Upma from Magical Ingredients
• Wine and Cheese Muffins from That Recipe