The Ram-Lakhan of Maharashtrian Breakfast Food (Kanda Pohe & Sabudana Khichadi)
This reliable & rocking pair makes for one of the most popular breakfast items or tea time snacks that one can find anywhere in Maharashtra! So much so, that these items have now found themselves in most kitchens across India, possibly arguing about their origin too.
Commonly found kitchen staple ingredients, simple to cook, easy on the wallet, no frill-no fuss chopping, gluten free, healthy & light on the tummy & most importantly, they both make for an ideal way to kickstart your day, the filling & tasty way!!! Lockdown or no lockdown, they’re here to stay!! Live Long, you twins, Ram-Lakhan!!!
The reason I have christened the pair by this adorable name is simply because, Ram, known to be the ideal, sweet, simpleton, goody-two-shoes elder brother, is none other than the Sago or Sabudana Khichadi.
The ideal hot savoury breakfast on a day of religious fasting, cooked without any onion-garlic, pure white in colour & cooked in pure ghee without any heavy ground masalas or spice powders. Sabudana Khichadi is a delightful steaming hot snack made with delicate white tapioca pearls, seasoned & tossed in with green chillies for a hint of spice, coarse groundnut powder & fresh coriander leaves for a superb crunch & a hint of sugar & salt, cooked until soft. Traditional & simple.
The younger, more colourful and naughty brother Lakhan is none other than the Kande Pohe who’s got a lot more shades to his character! Bright yellow in colour, this one’s definitely worth looking out for. Salty, sweet, sour, loads of textures and lots of crunch lend many shades to this chap’s character. Asking for onions, groundnuts, peas, potatoes, coriander leaves & coconut to lend it flavour, this piping hot savoury snack Kande Pohe, can either be eaten by itself, or with tons of crunchy sev overload!
Not someone to rest easy with a standard way of serving, this dude looks forward to more options, as variety is the spice of life, isn’t it??! This superb dish lends itself to the base of a mean Misal Pav too (traditional curried sprout dish from Maharashtra-recipe already on the blog).
Use it as the base of the dish and then top with spicy Misal curry, more raw onions, crunchy sev, fresh coriander leaves and then sweet tamarind or minty green chutneys. It’s entirely your palette to paint!!
I call them twins only because they are inseparable! Most Maharashtrian households must have these two dishes for breakfast or at tea time, atleast once every week. Varied flavours, flexible to changes, both carb-friendly, light & filling and total paisa-vasool or lipsmackingly tasty!!
Long live you adorable twins, Ram-Lakhan!! We love you!!!
Recipe for Sabudana Khichadi – Savoury Sago Snack
Ingredients (Serves 2)
1 cup sabudana / sago pearls made of tapioca
2 tablespoons ghee / clarified butter/oil if vegan
1 teaspoon jeera seeds / cumin seeds
2 green chillies, slit & chopped
1 small potato, peeled & cubed
3-4 tablespoons groundnuts, roasted & coarsely powdered
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste
2 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped
Juice of ½ a lime
Procedure
- Soak 1 cup sabudana in 1 cup water overnight (1:1 ratio) in a colander, until it mashes easily between your fingers. Soaking time will vary according to the quality & size of the sago pearls.
- Drain off the excess water well, in a strainer and allow it to dry out for about half an hour.
- In a heavy bottom saucepan or kadhai, heat 2 tablespoons of ghee/ oil if you have dairy issues.
- Add in the jeera seeds and saute till they start to splutter.
- Add the slit green chillies, chopped potato cubes & salt and stir for a minute.
- Add 1 tbsp water & cover and cook on a low flame for 2 minutes until the potato is fully cooked (not mushy).
- Now add in the drained sago pearls & stir to mix well.
- Add the coarsely powdered groundnuts, 1 teaspoon sugar and salt to taste.
- Stir to mix well, ensuring not to mash the delicate sago pearls.
- Cover and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until sabudana is completely cooked and turned translucent.
- Add freshly chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice & mix well.
- Serve sabudana khichadi for breakfast or as a snack with sweet or plain curd.
The Culinary Konnoisseur 
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