Rohini’s Sabudana (Tapioca) Khichdi

This recipe is courtesy of my friend Rohini. For the longest time I could never get the consistency of the sabudana right. It would either be too dry or too lumpy. Thanks to Rohini not any more. According to her there are three important tips to making the softest, non-lumpy sabudana khichdi and they all work for me.
Tip No 1: Wash the sabudana twice in plenty of water. Then soak it overnight with ¼ inch of water on top of the sabudana. Cover the pot and forget about it till next day morning.
Tip No 2: Do not put more oil/ ghee than necessary. Too much oil will not make the khichdi taste any better, instead it will end up spoiling the texture.
Tip No 3: Once all the ingredients in the karahi are mixed, put the heat on low, cover the pot and forget about it for at least 10 min.

1 cup Sabudana
1 potato (boiled or raw)
¾ cup roasted crushed peanuts
1 – 2 green chillis
1 tsp jeera (cumin)
Salt to taste
Lemon slices and cilantro to garnish

Soak the sabudana overnight. (Ref to Tip No 1 above). It should almost double in size and the kernels should not be sticky. If they are, you put too much water.
Heat 1 tblsp oil/ghee in a karahi. Add the jeera. Once it starts to splutter, add the chopped green chillis and the potatoes.
Meanwhile, mix the sabudana and the roasted peanut powder together with salt and a pinch of sugar.
As soon as the potatoes are cooked, add the sabudana mixture, stir and mix well.
Check for salt and chilli. At this point, you can add more salt or red chilli powder if needed. Cover the karahi, turn the heat to low and walk away for 10-15 min.
Come back and check. The khichdi should be soft and yummy by this time. Turn off the heat, sprinkle some lemon juice, garnish with cilantro and serve hot.