Sabudana Khichdi / Javvarisi upma for ekadeshi

Sabudana or Sago are small white balls which turn translucent / transparent on cooking. It is used in making varieties of poppadom and also to make my brother's favorite 'muthu payasam'.

Sabudana is very starchy and are made completely from Tapioca. If you which to see the the process involved in making Tapioca into sago, watch this youtube video.

On fasting days, Sabudana is allowed to be eaten. No onion and no garlic is used and meals are generally restricted to one time a day.

This helps in healing the digestive tract and other organs in disposing existing waste. This year's Noble Prize winner for Medicine, Dr.Yoshinori Ohsumi, has done research on auto-phagy...or self-eating cells. Looks like our ancestors knew about the benefits of fasting and wanted us to include this in our day-to day habits...thus ekadesi was born!

Ingredients:
Sabudana / Javvarisi / Sago - 1 cup
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Asafoetida powder / kayam - 1/2 tsp
Green chilli - 2, chopped
Ground nuts - 2 tbsp
Curry leaf - 1 sprig
Potato boiled - 1 large ( 3/4 cup, cubed)
Carrot - 1/2 cup, grated
Coriander leaf - 3 tbsp
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Coconut grated - 1/2 cup (optional)

Method:
Wash the sago twice and remove all water. 
Add 3/4 cup of water and soak for 4 hours or overnight.
The sago would have puffed up and begun soft to touch.
Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel with a tight lid.
Splutter jeera, add asafoetida, green chilly, curry leaf and ground nuts.
Fry for 1 minute.
Next add the boiled potato, salt and turmeric powder.
Mix well, reduce flame and cook covered for 1 minute.
Add the soaked sabudana, grated carrot and mix well.
Cook covered, stirring in between on a low flame for 10 minutes till it becomes transparent.
Turn off flame, add the lemon juice and garnish with coconut (optional) and coriander leaf.
Serve at room temperature.