Sabu dana kheer is made with pre-soaked Sabu dana and milk along with a few roasted nuts, raisins and aromatic spices. It is quite easy to make Sabu dana kheer at home. If you are unaware of the steps, continue reading.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Sabu dana kheer is a unique and very delicious sweet dish.
- Serve it hot or cold as a dessert on its own after meals. You may also have it with Luchi, chapati or paratha.
- Sabu dana kheer tastes creamy, sweet, and lightly nutty.
- Other similar kheers are rice kheer and vermicelli kheer.
The Ingredients:
To soak Sabu dana:
- ½ cup Sabu dana (washed nicely)
- ½ cup milk (preboiled)
To make the kheer:
- 1 liter milk (preboiled)
- 4 tbsp ghee or clarified butter (1 tbsp for greasing the kadai)
- ¼ cup sugar
- Saffron or Kesar (a few strands)
- 6 pieces almonds (crushed roughly)
- Cashew nuts (broken, a few)
- Charoli or Chironji (a handful)
- Pistachios (a handful)
- Raisins (a handful)
- 1 tsp cardamom (Elaichi) powder
This recipe was passed down by my aunt when she visited unexpectedly on my husband’s birthday. I was already cooking but had not finalized a main dish, a kheer. She suggested this one and guided me as I cooked. It actually became the hot favorite of the party.
My husband was delighted, and my sons called it “bua magic.” Now, it is our birthday-special item. That visit reminded me that family arrives with more than hugs—they bring old treasures wrapped in modern moments, helping us build newer traditions from older roots.
How to Make Sabudana Kheer? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: Take ½ cup of Sabu dana in a bowl and wash it nicely two to three times with water until you see clean water.
(Pro tip: Washing Sabu dana nicely removes dust and starch).
Step 2: Pour ½ cup of preboiled milk into it to soak the Sabu dana nicely. Keep the bowl aside for 30 to 45 minutes.
(Pro tip: Do not soak Sabu dana for a long time or else it will swell up completely at this stage. It should swell fully after you add the sugar. This will ensure sweetness inside every grain).
Step 3: Now, take a deep-bottom kadai and grease it nicely with 1 tbsp of ghee or clarified butter.
(Pro tip: Greasing the kadai will add a nice flavor to the kheer. It will also prevent the Sabu dana from sticking to the bottom while cooking).
Step 4: Now, heat 2 tbsp of ghee in the kadai on a medium flame and put the soaked Sabu dana in it. Stir and fry it for just a couple of minutes.
(Pro tip: Frying the Sabu dana will prevent the kheer from becoming sticky).
Step 5: Now, add 1 liter of preboiled milk to the fried Sabu dana in the kadai. Mix it nicely and let it come to a boil.
Step 6: Now, cook the kheer on a low to medium flame for another 4 to 5 minutes, stirring continuously and scraping the malai from the sides and mixing with the milk.
(Pro tip: Scraping and mixing the malai of the milk will add to the eventual consistency of the kheer, making it thick and creamy).
Step 7: In the meantime, take a few strands of saffron or Kesar in a mortar and pestle to crush them a little bit.
(Pro tip: Crushing saffron slightly will add to the color and flavor of the Sabu dana kheer).
Step 8: When the milk has become thick, add ¼ cup sugar to it and mix nicely. Also, add the crushed Kesar and mix everything nicely with the milk. Let it cook on a low flame now for another 3 to 4 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom surface of the kadai.
(Pro tip: When you see swollen and transparent Sabu dana on the surface, it indicates they are nicely cooked).
Step 9: While it cooks, heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a separate pan. When it melts, add 6 pieces of almonds (crushed roughly), a few cashew nuts (broken), and a handful of charoli or chironji. Stir fry them on a medium flame for about 30 seconds.
(Pro tip: You may roast these nuts without ghee as well but roasting them in ghee will enhance the taste and flavor of the Sabu dana kheer manifolds).
Step 10: Now, add a handful of pistachios and raisins to the fried nuts in the kadai and also cook them for about 15 seconds. When done, keep them aside.
(Pro tip: Do not add pistachios and raisins along with the other nuts as these cook very quickly).
Step 11: Now, check the consistency of the kheer.
Step 12: If you are okay with it, add the fried nuts and raisins to it. Give it a nice mix and cook for a minute.
Step 13: Finally, add 1 tsp of cardamom (Elaichi) powder to it and scrape all the malai stuck on the sides of the kadai and mix them nicely with the kheer.
Step 14: Your sweet and tasty homemade Sabu dana kheer is ready to enjoy. Transfer it onto a plate or a bowl and serve hot or cold.
Recipe Card
Sabudana Kheer
Ingredients
To soak Sabu dana:
- ½ cup Sabu dana washed nicely
- ½ cup milk preboiled
To make the kheer:
- 1 liter milk preboiled
- 4 tbsp ghee or clarified butter 1 tbsp for greasing the kadai
- ¼ cup sugar
- Saffron or Kesar a few strands
- 6 pieces almonds crushed roughly
- Cashew nuts broken, a few
- Charoli or Chironji a handful
- Pistachios a handful
- Raisins a handful
- 1 tsp cardamom Elaichi powder
Instructions
- Take ½ cup of Sabu dana in a bowl and wash it nicely two to three times with water until you see clean water. (Pro tip: Washing Sabu dana nicely removes dust and starch).
- Pour ½ cup of preboiled milk into it to soak the Sabu dana nicely. Keep the bowl aside for 30 to 45 minutes. (Pro tip: Do not soak Sabu dana for a long time or else it will swell up completely at this stage. It should swell fully after you add the sugar. This will ensure sweetness inside every grain).
- Now, take a deep-bottom kadai and grease it nicely with 1 tbsp of ghee or clarified butter. (Pro tip: Greasing the kadai will add a nice flavor to the kheer. It will also prevent the Sabu dana from sticking to the bottom while cooking).
- Now, heat 2 tbsp of ghee in the kadai on a medium flame and put the soaked Sabu dana in it. Stir and fry it for just a couple of minutes. (Pro tip: Frying the Sabu dana will prevent the kheer from becoming sticky).
- Now, add 1 liter of preboiled milk to the fried Sabu dana in the kadai. Mix it nicely and let it come to a boil.
- Now, cook the kheer on a low to medium flame for another 4 to 5 minutes, stirring continuously and scraping the malai from the sides and mixing with the milk. (Pro tip: Scraping and mixing the malai of the milk will add to the eventual consistency of the kheer, making it thick and creamy).
- In the meantime, take a few strands of saffron or Kesar in a mortar and pestle to crush them a little bit. (Pro tip: Crushing saffron slightly will add to the color and flavor of the Sabu dana kheer).
- When the milk has become thick, add ¼ cup sugar to it and mix nicely. Also, add the crushed Kesar and mix everything nicely with the milk. Let it cook on a low flame now for another 3 to 4 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom surface of the kadai. (Pro tip: When you see swollen and transparent Sabu dana on the surface, it indicates they are nicely cooked).
- While it cooks, heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a separate pan. When it melts, add 6 pieces of almonds (crushed roughly), a few cashew nuts (broken), and a handful of charoli or chironji. Stir fry them on a medium flame for about 30 seconds. (Pro tip: You may roast these nuts without ghee as well but roasting them in ghee will enhance the taste and flavor of the Sabu dana kheer manifolds).
- Now, add a handful of pistachios and raisins to the fried nuts in the kadai and also cook them for about 15 seconds. When done, keep them aside. (Pro tip: Do not add pistachios and raisins along with the other nuts as these cook very quickly).
- Now, check the consistency of the kheer.
- If you are okay with it, add the fried nuts and raisins to it. Give it a nice mix and cook for a minute.
- Finally, add 1 tsp of cardamom (Elaichi) powder to it and scrape all the malai stuck on the sides of the kadai and mix them nicely with the kheer.
- Your sweet and tasty homemade Sabu dana kheer is ready to enjoy. Transfer it onto a plate or a bowl and serve hot or cold.
