4 Fasting-Friendly Sabudana Recipes for Navratri

Think sabudana and khichdi is all that comes to mind? Think again! This Navratri, give your vrat menu a delicious makeover with four creative sabudana recipes that go beyond the usual.

From crispy sabudana appe and soft steamed dhokla to festive ladoo and a fun boba-style milk drink, these recipes bring something new to your Navratri table.

For the best texture, soak sabudana with just enough water until the pearls soften without becoming mushy. Since fasting rules vary across families and regions, always check packaged ingredients and accompaniments against your family’s vrat traditions.

1. Sabudana Boba Milk

A fun twist on the boba trend for Navratri. Boba doesn’t always have to mean tea! For a vrat-friendly twist, pair chewy sabudana pearls with chilled milk, cardamom, and saffron for a fun festive drink.

Ingredients

For the sabudana pearls:

• ½ cup sabudana
• Water, as required
• 1 tsp ghee

For the milk:

• 2 cups chilled milk
• 2 tbsp sugar, or to taste
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• 4-5 saffron strands
• Ice cubes, optional

Get the ingredients here

Method

1. Rinse the sabudana and soak it in just enough water until the pearls become soft.
2. Drain completely and let the excess moisture dry off.
3. Cook the soaked sabudana in boiling water until the pearls turn translucent and soft.
4. Drain and rinse with cold water.
5. Toss the cooked sabudana with a little ghee so the pearls don’t stick together.
6. Mix chilled milk with sugar, cardamom and saffron.
7. Add the sabudana pearls to glasses.
8. Pour over the chilled milk.
9. Serve immediately.

Vrat-friendly tip: We have deliberately made this a sabudana boba milk drink rather than conventional boba tea. This avoids tea or coffee, which may not be consumed during some fasting practices.

2. Sabudana Appe

Love sabudana vada? Try these sabudana appe, made with sabudana, potato and roasted peanuts, then cooked in an appe pan with a little ghee for a deliciously crisp, lighter twist.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sabudana
• 3 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed
• ½ cup peanuts
• 1-inch piece of ginger, grated
• 2-3 green chillies, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander, optional
• Sendha namak, to taste
• 1-2 tbsp ghee

Get the ingredients here

Method

1. Rinse the sabudana thoroughly.
2. Soak it in just enough water for about 4-5 hours or overnight, depending on the variety.
3. Drain any excess water completely.
4. Dry-roast the peanuts and crush them coarsely.
5. Combine the soaked sabudana, mashed potatoes and crushed peanuts.
6. Add ginger, green chilli, lemon juice and sendha namak.
7. Add coriander if it is permitted as part of your vrat.
8. Mix everything well.
9. Shape the mixture into small balls.
10. Heat an appe pan and grease each cavity with a little ghee.
11. Place one ball into each cavity.
12. Cover and cook over medium-low heat.
13. Turn when the underside becomes golden.
14. Cook the other side until crisp and cooked through.
15. Serve hot.

Serve with: Try these with fresh coconut chutney or a fasting-friendly peanut chutney, provided all the ingredients used in the chutney are permitted during your fast.

The secret to good sabudana appe: Drain the sabudana really well. Too much water can make the mixture sticky and difficult to shape. 

3. Sabudana Ladoo

A festive sweet made with roasted sabudana. These sabudana ladoos turn a simple fasting staple into a festive sweet, with roasted sabudana adding a delicious nutty texture. Peanuts, coconut and ghee make them rich, satisfying and perfect for Navratri.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sabudana
• ½ cup roasted peanuts
• ¼ cup desiccated coconut
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 3-4 tbsp ghee
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• 2 tbsp chopped cashews or almonds, optional

Get the ingredients here

Method

1. Dry-roast the sabudana on low heat until crisp. Do not let it brown.
2. Cool completely.
3. Grind the roasted sabudana into a fine powder.
4. Grind the roasted peanuts separately.
5. Lightly roast the coconut.
6. Combine sabudana powder, peanut powder, coconut, powdered sugar and cardamom.
7. Add chopped nuts if using.
8. Heat the ghee and add it gradually to the mixture.
9. Mix until the mixture starts holding together.
10. Take a small portion while warm and press firmly.
11. Shape into ladoos.
12. Repeat with the remaining mixture.

Storage tip: For better keeping quality, make the ladoos without milk and store them in an airtight container. A sabudana-makhana version with peanuts, ghee and jaggery is also used as a fasting preparation.

4. Sabudana Dhokla

A soft steamed snack for your Navratri menu. Dhokla may not be the first thing you associate with sabudana, but it makes an interesting fasting option when prepared with sabudana and samak instead of gram flour. Samak-sabudana dhokla is a Navratri fasting preparation. 

Ingredients

For the batter:

• 1 cup samak rice
• ⅓ cup sabudana
• ½ cup fresh curd
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• Sendha namak, to taste
• Water, as required
• ½-¾ tsp fasting-approved fruit salt, optional

For serving:

• Fresh coconut
• Lemon juice
• Roasted cumin powder
• Fresh coriander, optional

Get the ingredients here

Method

1. Wash the samak rice and drain.
2. Grind it into a slightly coarse powder.
3. Grind the raw sabudana into a coarse powder.
4. Combine the samak and sabudana.
5. Add curd, ginger, green chilli and sendha namak.
6. Add enough water to make a thick but flowing batter.
7. Cover and allow the batter to rest for 2-4 hours or overnight.
8. Grease a steaming plate with ghee or a fasting-approved oil.
9. Just before steaming, add fruit salt if it is permitted in your fasting practice.
10. Mix gently.
11. Immediately pour the batter into the greased plate.
12. Steam for approximately 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
13. Allow it to cool before cutting.
14. Serve with coconut, lemon juice and roasted cumin.

The samak-sabudana combination and use of curd and fruit salt are also reflected in established Navratri dhokla recipes. 

Important vrat check: Fruit salt is the one ingredient to check with your family’s fasting rules. Some vrat recipes use it, while stricter fasting practices may avoid certain packaged ingredients. If your household does not permit it, leave it out, although the dhokla will be denser and less fluffy.

This Navratri, give sabudana a delicious makeover beyond the usual khichdi. From crispy appe and soft dhokla to festive ladoos and boba-style milk, these recipes make fasting a little more exciting.

Try your favourite, share it with your family, and make your Navratri menu deliciously different!

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