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Friday 22 August 2014

Sabudana / Sago Upma


There are a variety of dishes made from Sabudana / Sago like the Sabudana payasa, Sabudana Khichdi, Sabudana vade, Sabudana Upma and many more. Sabudana is full of starch or carbohydrates and is great for a quick boost of energy, and hence often served in India for breaking fasts during religious festivals. So here comes the general recipe of Sabudana / Sago Upma.






Ingredients for Sabudana / Sago Upma :

1 cup Sabudana / Sago, soaked overnight
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp split urad dal
1 tsp channa dal
1 small onion finely chopped
3 green chillies slit
curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste

To prepare Sabudana / Sago Upma :



  • Soak the Sabudana / Sago overnight or 3 hr before u cook. 
  • Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds once mustard seeds start splutter add the urad dal and channa dal. When the dals turn brown add the onions, curry leaves and slit green chillies. Saute adding a little bit of salt and the turmeric powder until the onions turn soft and translucent. Add grated carrot and saute for 2 min.
  • Add the completely drained Sabudana / Sago to this mixture and saute until the Sabudana / Sago pearls turn translucent and are cooked completely. 
  • Sprinkle the lemon juice and cook until the juice is completely absorbed. Check for seasoning.  


Tips / Notes:


  • U can add favorite vegetables to make Vegetables Sabudana / Sago Upma.
  • U can add fried peanut for this recipe.
  • Adjust the green chillies and salt quantity as per your requirement.
  • To prepare Sabudana / Sago Tomato Upma, add 2 chopped tomatoes and saute until soft and all the moisture from the tomatoes is cooked out when the onions turn soft and translucent.
  • U can prepare the same recipe without using Onion for fasting recipe.


Health Benefits of Sabudana / Sago  :


  • Sabudana / Sago is extremely low in fat but also low in protein. As it's just starch, other than the carbohydrates, nutrition-wise, sabudana / Sago does not contain any minerals or vitamins and has very low amounts of calcium, iron, and fiber. However, you can make up for this by using other ingredients with it, such as milk for making sabudana / sago kheer/payasam/a thin porridge or vegetables and peanuts for making sabudana khichdi. 
  • Sabudana / Sago powder can be used as a thickening agent in gravy dishes, and sago flour can be used to make flat-breads. Sabudana / Sago can be used while preparing vadas and can prepare pappadums using Sabudana / Sago
  • Sabudana / Sago is full of starch or carbohydrates and is great for a quick boost of energy, and hence often served in India for breaking fasts during religious festivals.
  • Boiled Sabudana / Sago porridge is also great when you're sick because it gives you quick energy and is easy to digest. According to Indian medicine, sago and rice have a cooling effect on the system, hence Sabudana / Sago thin porridge is given if you have excess bile (caused by excess body heat).


So try this recipe and write back to us…We love to hear from you.
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Home made Lemon Pickle (Nimbu ka Achar) .... Kitchen Basics


I have started making pickles after watching Maaoori vanta program in maa TV few years back. Because most of the time MIL and mom’s pickle get finish off soon and also really hated the store bought one. Before that, I thought it is difficult for me to proceed because of its lengthy process. Thanks to maa TV for telecasting such a wonderful recipes with easy steps. I noted down the recipe when the program telecast-ed and start to do by my own by adjusting the spice and salt level. When I distributed these pickles to my friends they admire the taste and started to ask recipes. For all my pickle lovers, here comes the recipe.


















 Ingredients for Lemon Pickle (Nimbu ka Achar):

15 to 20 no’s Lemons (medium size)
½ cup Salt (approx. 5 to 6 table spoons)
½ cup Red chilli powder
½ cup Oil (til or ground nut oil would be good)
½ tbsp. Turmeric Powder
1 tbsp. Methi powder(fenugreek)
½ tsp Hing (asafoetida)
4 to 5 no’s Red
1 tbsp. Mustard seeds

To prepare Lemon Pickle (Nimbu ka Achar):

1. Wash the lemon, pat and dry them nicely using a kitchen towel. Cut lemons into medium size pieces.
2. Remove the seeds using the knife edge otherwise the pickle tastes bitter.
3. In a mixing bowl add Lemon pieces, ½ cup salt and ½ tsp Turmeric Powder mix well so that each lemon slice gets coated with salt and turmeric. Keep it in a dry bottle or any dry glass Jar for 3 days. (shake the jar well every day)
2. Take a frying pan.  Heat 1\2 cup of oil.  Add Mustard seeds, Red chillies and Hing (asafoetida) to it.  Let the Mustard seeds splutter. Remove it from the flame and let it cool completely.
3. Take large bowl, put the marinated lemon pieces into it. Add ½ cup red chilli powder, 1 table spoon Methi powder (fenugreek) to it and Mix well.
4. Add the cooled thadka to the Lemon Pickle (Nimbu ka Achar) and mix well. Store it in air tight jar. Lemon Pickle (Nimbu ka Achar) in Andhra style is ready. Serve it with Curd rice.
5. This can stay more than 4 months if u keep it outside. You can store this in refrigerator too for longer life (more than 6 months).

Tips / Notes :


  • U can adjust the Salt and chilli powder levels as per your requirement.
  • U can add Green chillies instead of red chilli powder.
  • Make sure that the Mixing bowl and spoon you are using should be dry.
  • Always use dry Bottle to store the pickle.
  • Whenever you are taking the pickle for serving just mix it from top to bottom and then take the required quantity of pickle by doing this more oil will not come to the spoon.


Health Benefits of Lemon:

The health benefits of lemon include its use as a treatment of throat infections, indigestion, constipation, dental problems, and fever, internal bleeding, rheumatism, burns, obesity, respiratory disorders, cholera and high blood pressure, while it also benefits hair and skin care,. Known for its therapeutic property since generations, lemon helps to strengthen your immune system, cleanse your stomach, and it is considered a blood purifier.
Lemon juice, especially, has several health benefits associated with it. It is well known as a useful treatment for kidney stones, reducing strokes and lowering body temperature. As a refreshing drink, lemonade helps you to stay calm and cool.

So try this recipe and write back to us…We love to hear from you.

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