Sabja (basil seeds): what they are and how to soak them

Sabja are small black basil seeds, also sold as tukmaria or falooda seeds. In water, each seed builds a clear, jelly-like coat around itself. In India and Bangladesh they go into cold drinks, lemonade and the dessert falooda, and shops also sell ready-made fruit drinks with basil seeds. In Polish they are "nasiona bazylii".

What sabja seeds are

Sabja are the seeds of sweet basil, the same plant whose leaves you know from Italian cooking. In South Asia the seeds themselves are harvested and sold. They are black, matt and smaller than a sesame seed.

Dry seeds have almost no taste; the texture is the point. After a few minutes in water the seed swells and a slippery, glassy coat forms around it, with a slightly crunchy black centre. In a glass they look like tiny frogspawn.

Names to look for on packs and shelves:

• tukmaria: common on packs from Bangladesh and Pakistan,
• sabja, sabza: the name in India,
• basil seeds, falooda seeds: English,
• nasiona bazylii: Polish.

Sabja and chia: not the same seed

Chia and sabja are often confused, because both swell in liquid. The difference is easy to see. Sabja is black and very small; chia is grey-white, speckled and slightly bigger. Sabja swells in a few minutes; chia needs longer. The gel around sabja is more distinct, and the seeds do not stick together in one mass the way chia does in a pudding.

You can swap them in drink recipes, but the texture will be different.

How to soak basil seeds

Do not eat sabja dry. Always soak it first.

1. Measure 1 teaspoon of seeds per glass of drink.
2. Pour about half a glass of water over them, ideally lukewarm or cold.
3. Stir straight away so they do not form lumps.
4. Leave for 10 to 15 minutes, until each seed has a jelly coat.
5. Add the soaked seeds to a drink or dessert.

Soaked seeds keep in a closed jar in the fridge for a day or two. Keep dry seeds in an airtight container in a dry place.

What to add basil seeds to

• Falooda: a cold dessert of milk, rose syrup, thin noodles, sabja and ice cream.
• Sharbat and lemonade: water, lemon juice, sugar or syrup and a spoonful of soaked seeds.
• Milk drinks: cold milk with rose or mango syrup.
• Yoghurt and fruit: a spoonful in a bowl of yoghurt or in a fruit salad.

Ready-made basil seed drinks

Shops selling Asian food often stock bottled fruit drinks with basil seeds, for example from PRAN. They are sweet fruit drinks with soaked seeds already floating in them. Flavours include strawberry, mango, pineapple, orange and lychee. Serve them chilled, and turn the bottle over before opening, because the seeds sink to the bottom.

Where to buy basil seeds and basil seed drinks in Poland

In the Little India online shop you will find the PRAN mango drink with basil seeds, the PRAN lychee drink with basil seeds and other flavours in the tukmaria category. Little India has shops in Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław and Gdańsk and ships orders across Poland.

If you like drinks and desserts with small pearls, read about sago and tapioca. Other Indian sweets are in our post on kaju katli, halwa and other Indian sweets.