Sweets recipes | Havyaka

Shabakki paayasa | Sabudana kheer

By Leena Hegde, Puttanamane

Ingredients A quick look Step by step Notes

Shabakki or Sabudana or Sago or Tapioca pearls are small round shaped pearls made from the starch extracted from the roots of the cassava plant. The sweet pudding made with Shabakki, jaggery, and milk is Shabakki paayasa or Sabudana kheer. Shabakki paayasa is simple and quite easy to make, and is creamy and absolutely delicious. It is believed that these pearls cool the body, and is a great summer food too.

Shabakki paayasa is made by simmering the soaked shabakki in water or milk until the pearls turn transparent, and sweetened with jaggery and flavored with cardamom and cloves. In this recipe, I cook the shabakki or sabudana in water first, and milk is added later. You can choose to cook the shabakki in milk, but pearls take more time to cook. If you are using milk to cook the pearls, use whole milk.

Note: Preparation time does not include soaking time as it varies with pearl varieties.

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Cool off time

0 Total time

40 mins

Course

Sweets

Diet

Vegetarian

Difficulty level

Moderate

Servings

5 cups

Ingredients

3/4 cup shabakki or sabudana or tapioca pearls
1/2 liter milk – boiled and cooled
3 tablespoon jaggery or as required
5 cardamoms
5 cloves
1/6 teaspoon salt
Water as required

Cookware / Utensils

Thick pan or vessel
Bowl(s)
Spoon or Ladle
Mortar and pestle

Instructions

Rinse 3/4 cup shabakki or tapioca pearls until all the starch is washed away. Soak them in water for some hours or overnight. (See notes)
Overnight soaked pearls have become soft.
Drain or strain the water from the pearls. You can use strainer to strain all the water.
Take the pearls in a thick pan or vessel and add fresh 3 cups water or as required. And cook the pearls on medium heat. Stir frequently.
Cook until pearls start floating on top. They become light and translucent, and start swelling.
Add 3 tablespoon jaggery or as required. Add 1/6 teaspoon salt or as required. Mix well.
Stirring often continue to cook till the pearls have softened well and has thickened. Then add milk.
Mix well. Let it boil for few seconds. Turn off the heat.
Powder the cardamoms and cloves using mortar and pestle.
Add cardamom and cloves powder to the shabakki paayasa. Mix well.
Serve the shabakki paayasa or sabudana kheer hot, warm or at room temperature.

Step by step guide

How to make Shabakki paayasa

1. Rinse 3/4 cup shabakki or tapioca pearls until all the starch is washed away. Soak them in water for some hours or overnight. (See notes)

2. Overnight soaked pearls have become soft.

3. Drain or strain the water from the pearls. You can use strainer to strain all the water.

4. Take the pearls in a thick pan or vessel and add fresh 3 cups water or as required. And cook the pearls on medium heat. Stir frequently.

5. Cook until pearls start floating on top. They become light and translucent, and start swelling.

6. Add 3 tablespoon jaggery or as required. Add 1/6 teaspoon salt or as required. Mix well.

7. Stirring often continue to cook till the pearls have softened well and has thickened. Then add milk.

8. Mix well. Let it boil for few seconds. Turn off the heat.

9. Powder the cardamoms and cloves using mortar and pestle.

10. Add cardamom and cloves powder to the shabakki paayasa. Mix well.

11. Serve the shabakki paayasa or sabudana kheer hot, warm or at room temperature.

The paayasa or kheer will thicken after cooling.

Notes

Soaking: Use the regular shabakki or tapioca pearls. Adjust the soaking time depending on the quality and the variety of shabakki or tapioca pearls. For some it requires just 2 hours and for some you many need to soak overnight. Usually I soak them overnight as they do not soften even after 4 to 5 hours.

Soaked tapioca pearls should be very soft that it should get mashed easily when you press them. There should not be any hardness in the center of the pearls.
Kheer consistency and texture: Well-cooked pearls are soft, translucent, and little sticky. This gives the paayasa or kheer smooth and creamy texture.

Paayasa or kheer will thicken once cooled. You can adjust the consistency by adding more or less milk.
Sahbakki paayasa stays good for about 6 to 12 hours at room temperature depending on the climate and room temperature.
Use fresh jaggery. Milk may curdle if the jaggery used is sour. If you are not sure, add jaggery and salt after turning off the heat.