Sago sabudana upma recipe

Sabudana upma - tapioca pearls recipe

Sago Sabudana upma recipe is made from sago or tapioca pearls. It is a popular Indian recipe in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan. It is a easy breakfast recipe.

Sago is known in Indian languages as sabudana/saboodana(Hindi - Marathi), seeme akki, sabbakki(Kannada), javvarisi (Tamil), saggubeeyam(Telugu) etc.

Sabudana upma can be made for breakfast, filling snack, or a meal. Sago or tapioca pearls cook very fast but you need to soak it for an hour or so.

If you are looking for a fasting food recipe, go to sabudana khichadi recipe

How to make Sabudana upma

Ingredients for sago upma

  • Sabudana (sago - Tapioca pearls) - 1 cup
  • Onion - 1 cup chopped
  • Green chilies - 2-3 more or less according to taste
  • Sugar - 1 tsp
  • Salt - 1 tsp or according to taste
  • Vegetable oil or ghee - 1 tbsp
  • Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1/2 tsp
  • Potato - 1 medium sized
  • Fresh coconut , grated - 2 tbsp
  • Coriander leaves / cilantro - 1 tbsp chopped
  • lime juice - 1/2 tsp
  • Rai (mustard seeds) - 1/2 tsp
  • Ginger - 1/2 tsp chopped

Optional ingredients

  • Ghee - 1 tsp
  • fresh green peas - 1 tbsp
  • Chopped capsicum - 2 tbsp
  • chopped tomato - 1/4 cup

Preparation before making upma

We need to soak sago before cooking.

  1. Add sabudana to a bowl.
  2. add some water and wash well.
  3. Remove all the water. Add 2 tbsp water and leave the sago to soak for 2-3 hours or longer. You may also leave it overnight. The amount of water we soak the sago in is important. Too much water will make sabudan mushi and too little water will not soak it properly.
  4. Chop onion and green chili.
  5. Chop the potato in thin pieces. You may peel it or not according to your choice.

Cooking sago - sabudana Upma

  1. Heat oil/ghee in a kadai/pan.
  2. Add mustard seeds(rai) and jeera(cumin seeds). Let them splutter and then add the chopped green chilies. Stir for a few seconds.
  3. Add chopped onion and fry them for a minute.
  4. Add chopped ginger and chopped potatoes. stir and cover.
  5. Let cook for about 2 minutes on low flame till onion is transparent and potatoes are just cooked.
  6. Add the optional ingredients now if adding. Fresh peas, capsicums and tomato and stir.
  7. Cover and let cook for 2 minutes.
  8. Add the sago mix and stir well to mix properly.
  9. Cook for 2 minutes stirring often. You may cover and cook for a minute.
  10. Switch off the flame. Add ghee now if adding. Mix well.
  11. Add fresh grated coconut, coriander leaves and lime juice. mix well. Or you may add coconut, coriander leaves as a garnish while serving and serve with a lemon wedge.

Sabudana upma tastes great as a hot breakfast or even as a cold dish. A good dish to take for lunch too.


Tips :

  • Adding a tsp of ghee (clarified butter) adds to taste and flavor.
  • Soaking time is a must. Add water carefully. Do not add too much in the beginning. After soaking for an hour, if any water remains, pour into a colander so that all excess water drains away. We want each sabudana grain soaked but separate when mixing with groundnut powder.
  • You can keep sabudana soaked and in the fridge for 2-3 days in the fridge.
  • Sabudana upma keeps good in the fridge for 3-4 days. Just reheat before serving.
  • Leftover upma can be used to make sabudana vada or sabudana thalipit. 
  • Sago upma is not acceptable for vrat/ upvas/fasting as it contains onion.
onion rava upma - uppituonion rava upma - uppitu

Onion rava upma - uppit

Onion rava upma. Easy south Indian breakfast recipe.

Known as uppittu (Kannada), tikhat sanja(Marathi), namkin halwa(Hindi) etc.

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