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    Whisk Affair » Recipes » Indian Sweets & desserts » Sabudana Kheer (Indian Tapioca Pudding)

    Published: Aug 13, 2021 | Last Updated On: Aug 25, 2021 by Neha Mathur

    Sabudana Kheer (Indian Tapioca Pudding)

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    Jump to Recipe

    Creamy, luscious, and delicious, Sabudana Kheer (Sago Kheer, Indian Tapioca Pudding) is an Indian dessert made using sago pearls, milk, and sugar. Make it over the stovetop or in an instant pot using my simple recipe (vegetarian, gluten-free).

    Here are some more kheer recipes that you may like – Seviyan Kheer, Badam Kheer, Carrot Kheer, Makhane Ki Kheer, Rice Kheer, and Paneer Kheer.

    Sabudana kheer served in a bowl.
    Jump to:
    • About This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How To Make Sabudana Kheer Over Stovetop
    • How To Make Sabudana Kheer In An Instant pot
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Variations
    • Storage Suggestions
    • You Might Also Like
    • Recipe Card

    About This Recipe

    Sabudana Kheer (Sago Kheer) is an Indian dessert made using sago pearls (sabudana, tapioca pearls) and milk.

    It is a great dessert to make for festivals, special occasions, or vrat (Hindu fasting days).

    This Indian sago pudding is rich and creamy in texture and comes together in 30 minutes using simple ingredients.

    It is gluten free and can be easily made vegan too.

    Sabudana is a very popular ingredient in India. It is called Javvarisi in Tamil, Sabakki in Kannada, Sagubiyyam in Telugu, and Sabudana in Hindi, Gujarati, and Marathai.

    It is also called tapioca pearls as it is made from the roots of Tapioca or Cassava.

    Rich in starch, it is basically processed food.

    Sabudana is high in carbs and starch and very low in protein, vitamins, and minerals. It is generally cooked with other nutritious ingredients to balance the dish.

    Due to its high Instant energy, it is a favorite ingredient to use during vrat days.

    It is also a great ingredient to use in summers as it cools downs and maintains the internal body temperature.

    I make a lot of dishes using sabudana like Sabudana Vada, Sabudana Thalipeeth, Sabudana Khichdi, and this delicious Sabudana Kheer.

    Make it in a pot over the stovetop or in an instant pot as per your preference.

    Ingredients

    Sabudana kheer ingredients.

    Milk – Use whole milk (full fat milk) to make sabudana kheer rich and creamy.

    You can use any plant-based milk like almond milk or coconut milk to make it vegan.

    Sabudana – Sabudana (Sago Pearls) are the main ingredient of this dish. Use medium size pearls for the best result.

    Saffron – Saffron threads (Kesar) are optional but they add a nice hint of yellow color along with a lovely flavor, so highly recommended.

    Cardamom Powder – Flavor the kheer with ground cardamom.

    Sugar – Adjust the amount of sugar as per your taste.

    You can also use powdered jaggery, coconut sugar or dates puree in place of sugar.

    If using jaggery, add it only after removing the pan from the heat. When added to a very hot kheer, jaggery can curdle it.

    How To Make Sabudana Kheer Over Stovetop

    Rinse ½ cup sabudana with water.

    Note – Unlike the sabudana khichdi recipe where you have to rinse sabudana many times to get rid of the excess starch, sabudana kheer recipe requires you to wash it just once. We want the starch to make the kheer creamy and luscious.

    Soak sabudana in ½ cup water for 4-5 hours.

    Tip – If you have forgotten to soak the sabudana beforehand, then soak it in boiling hot water for 30 minutes.

    Sabudana soaked in water.

    Heat 1-liter whole (full-fat) milk in a heavy bottom pan over medium-high heat. Stir frequently to prevent scorching at the bottom of the pan.

    When the milk comes to a boil, stir in the soaked sabudana along with 15-20 saffron strands.

    Note – Never add the sabudana to the pan before the milk comes to a rolling boil. Doing so might curdle the milk.

    Soaked sabudana and saffron added to boiling hot milk in the pan.

    Reduce the heat to low and cook the kheer until it gets thick and the sabudana is cooked well (Approx 40-60 minutes).

    The consistency of the ready kheer should be flowy like custard. Keep stirring very frequently while cooking.

    Post cooking, sabudana pearls must be soft, slightly sticky, and translucent. There shouldn’t be any bite in them.

    Note – Keep in mind that the kheer will thicken considerably as it cools down.

    Reduced kheer.

    Stir in ¼ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon cardamom powder and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

    Check for sugar and add more if you like it sweeter.

    Sugar and cardamom powder added to the pan.

    Garnish with slivered almonds & pistachios and dried rose petals and serve sago kheer hot or chilled.

    Ready sabudana kheer.

    How To Make Sabudana Kheer In An Instant pot

    Rinse ½ cup sabudana with water and soak it in ½ cup water for 4-5 hours.

    Add the soaked sabudana, ½ cup water, and 15-20 strands of saffron to the instant pot and stir gently.

    Tip – Never pressure cook the sabudana with milk. The milk might curdle while cooking and it will spoil the kheer.

    Secure the lid of the instant pot and set the valve to the sealing position.

    Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 6 minutes at HIGH PRESSURE.

    The instant pot will take some time to build the pressure and start the timer (10-12 minutes).

    Instant Pot Sabudana Kheer Step 1-4

    Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.

    Release the remaining pressure manually by moving the valve to the venting position. Use a spoon to move the valve.

    Once the pressure is released, open the lid of the pot and stir once.

    Press SAUTE.

    Add ½ liter whole (full-fat) milk to the pot and cook until the kheer thickens (12-15 minutes). Keep stirring frequently to avoid the kheer from scorching.

    Stir in ¼ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon cardamom powder and cook for another minute.

    Check for sugar and add more if you like it sweeter.

    Garnish with slivered almonds & pistachios and dried rose petals and serve sabudana kheer hot or chilled.

    Instant Pot Sabudana Kheer Step 5-8
    https://youtu.be/ZfZ2ykykMaQ

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How to make sabudana kheer for babies?

    You can feed it to kids above 1 year of age. Sabudana has cooling properties, so this kheer is a great option to feed kids in summer. Avoid giving it to kids if they are suffering from constipation.

    Cook the sabudana in water instead of milk. Once it is cooked, add mashed dates and cook for 2-3 minutes. Cool the kheer and add breastmilk or formula and mix well.

    If your kid likes smooth food, then blend the cooled kheer in a blender.

    You can also add coconut milk or regular milk at the end and boil it for 2-3 minutes. You can also add carrot or apple puree to the cooled kheer.

    To make the kheer even more nutritious, add some almond and cashew nut paste to it.

    Can we make sabudane ki kheer without soaking the sabudana?

    You can make sabudane ki kheer without soaking the sabudana, just that it will take more time to cook. The other alternative is to cook the sabudana with some water in a pressure cooker or an instant pot. Then add milk to the cooked sabudana and cook until the kheer thickens.

    How to make sabudana kheer with jaggery?

    You can substitute the sugar with jaggery for a healthy alternative. Crush the jaggery and add it only once the kheer is completely cooked and slightly cooled, otherwise it can curdle the milk.

    How to make sago kheer with condensed milk?

    Cook the sabudana in milk until they are tender. Add ½ tin sweetened condensed milk and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Do not add any extra sugar as the condensed milk is quite sweet by itself.

    How to make vegan sabudana kheer?

    To make it vegan, cook the sabudana in water until they are softened. Now add almond or coconut milk and heat on low heat until the milk just starts to boil. Switch off the heat and garnish with slivered nuts. Serve warm or chilled. Do not boil the vegan milk otherwise, it may curdle.

    Variations

    Add other nuts apart from almonds and pistachios. Walnuts, pecans, pine nuts are some options.

    You can also add dried fruits like figs, raisins, cranberries, etc.

    You can flavor sago kheer with fruit purees like mango puree, strawberry puree, or chikoo puree. Add the fruit puree to the cooked and cooled kheer.

    You can also add grated bottle gourd (lauki) or carrots to this kheer along with sabudana.

    Flavor the cooked and cooled kheer with rose syrup and gulkand (rose jam) for a rose-flavored sabudana kheer.

    You can also add some thandai powder to it for a thandai flavored sabudane ki kheer.

    You can also flavor the kheer with some rose water, screw pine water (kewra), orange blossom water, or vanilla extract.

    Storage Suggestions

    Sabudana Kheer will last in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days when stored in an airtight container.

    You can serve it chilled or heat it in a pan or microwave until nice and warm.

    If the kheer has thickened too much post storage, add some milk to it and mix well before serving.

    Do not freeze this kheer. It might curdle when thawed.

    You Might Also Like

    • Fruit Custard
    • Lauki Ka Halwa (Dudhi Halwa, Bottle Gourd Halwa)
    • Nankhatai
    • North Indian Style Sooji Halwa (Suji Ka Sheera, Indian Semolina Pudding)

    Recipe Card

    Loved this recipe?Click here to leave a review and give us a five star rating ★★★★★
    Creamy, luscious, and delicious, Sabudana Kheer is an Indian dessert made using sago pearls, milk, and sugar. Make it for festivals, special occasions, or vrat (Hindu fasting) days.

    Sabudana Kheer Recipe (Sago Kheer, Indian Tapioca Pudding)

    Creamy, luscious, and delicious, Sabudana Kheer (Sago Kheer, Indian Tapioca Pudding) is an Indian dessert made using sago pearls, milk, and sugar. Make it over the stovetop or in an instant pot using my simple recipe (vegetarian, gluten-free).
    4.58 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 123kcal
    Author: Neha Mathur

    Ingredients 

    • ½ cup medium size sabudana (sago)
    • ½ cup water (for soaking)
    • 1 litre whole (full-fat) milk
    • 15-20 strands saffron
    • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
    • ¼ cup sugar (or to taste)
    US Customary or Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Rinse sabudana with water.
    • Note – Unlike the sabudana khichdi recipe where you have to rinse sabudana many times to get rid of the excess starch, sabudana kheer recipe requires you to wash it just once. We want the starch to make the kheer creamy and luscious.
    • Soak it in ½ cup water for 4-5 hours.
    • Tip – If you have forgotten to soak the sabudana beforehand, then soak it in boiling hot water for 30 minutes. It will be ready to use.
    • Heat milk in a heavy bottom pan over medium-high heat. Stir frequently to prevent scorching.
    • When the milk comes to a boil, stir in the soaked sabudana along with saffron strands.
    • Note – Never add the sabudana to the pan before the milk comes to a rolling boil. Doing so might curdle the milk.
    • Reduce the heat to low and cook the kheer until it gets thick and the sabudana is cooked well (Approx 40-60 minutes).
    • The consistency of the kheer should be flowy like custard. Keep stirring very frequently while cooking.
    • Post cooking, sabudana pearls must be soft, slightly sticky, and translucent. There shouldn’t be any bite in them.
    • Note – Keep in mind that the kheer will thicken considerably as it cools down.
    • Stir in sugar and cardamom powder and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
    • Check for sugar and add more if you like it sweeter.
    • Garnish with slivered almonds & pistachios and dried rose petals and serve hot or chilled.

    Video

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ilu8rmfOR9k

    Notes

    Instant Pot Recipe
    Rinse ½ cup sabudana with water and soak it in ½ cup water for 4-5 hours.
    Add the soaked sabudana, ½ cup water, and 15-20 strands of saffron to the instant pot and stir gently.
    Tip – Never pressure cook the sabudana with milk. The milk might curdle while cooking and it will spoil the kheer.
    Secure the lid of the instant pot and set the valve to the sealing position.
    Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 6 minutes at HIGH PRESSURE.
    The instant pot will take some time to build the pressure and start the timer (10-12 minutes).
    Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
    Release the remaining pressure manually by moving the valve to the venting position. Use a spoon to move the valve.
    Once the pressure is released, open the lid of the pot and stir once.
    Press SAUTE.
    Add ½ liter whole (full-fat) milk to the pot and cook until the kheer thickens (12-15 minutes). Keep stirring frequently to avoid the kheer from scorching.
    Stir in ¼ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon cardamom powder and cook for another minute.
    Check for sugar and add more if you like it sweeter.
    Garnish with slivered almonds & pistachios and dried rose petals and serve hot or chilled.
    I have shared the video of the Instant pot recipe in the post above.
    Notes
    Add some more milk if the kheer has thickened a lot.
    Adjust the amount of sugar as per your taste.
    You can also use powdered jaggery, coconut sugar or dates puree in place of sugar.
    If using jaggery, add it only after removing the pan from the heat. When added to a very hot kheer, jaggery can curdle it.
    Add other nuts apart from almonds and pistachios. Walnuts, pecans, pine nuts are some options.
    You can also add dried fruits like figs, raisins, cranberries, etc.
    You can flavor sago kheer with fruit purees like mango puree, strawberry puree, or chikoo puree. Add the fruit puree to the cooked and cooled kheer.
    You can also add grated bottle gourd (lauki) or carrots to this kheer along with sabudana.
    Flavor the cooked and cooled kheer with rose syrup and gulkand for a rose-flavored sabudana kheer.
    You can also add some thandai powder to it for a thandai flavored sabudane ki kheer.
    You can also flavor the kheer with some rose water, screw pine water (kewra), orange blossom water, or vanilla extract.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 31mg | Potassium: 68mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg
    Pin this recipe for later use!I LOVE to see your creations so pin and mention @WhiskAffair!
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    More Sweets & Desserts Recipes

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Manjula Bharath

      July 10, 2013 at 9:58 pm

      super delicious looking sago kheer 🙂 tempting me dear !!

      Reply
      • Shanthipriya

        April 19, 2020 at 6:06 am

        Very tasty cheer awesome

        Reply
        • Neha Mathur

          April 19, 2020 at 12:23 pm

          Thanks

          Reply
    2. Divya Shivaraman

      July 11, 2013 at 12:20 am

      super yummy kheer…love the colour dear

      Reply

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