Sago (sabudana) and tapioca: what they are and how to cook them

Sago in an Indian shop means small white starch pearls, called sabudana in Hindi. The ones sold in India are made from the starch of the cassava root, that is, from tapioca. The pearls are always soaked and then cooked or fried before eating. They make sabudana khichdi, sabudana vada fritters and sweet milk desserts. In Polish shops look for "sago", "perełki tapioki" (tapioca pearls) or "tapioka"; some people call them "kasza sago".

Sago, sabudana and tapioca: which is which

In a shop these three names often mean the same product, but they come from different places:

• Sago in the strict sense is starch from the pith of the sago palm, used traditionally in Southeast Asia.
• Tapioca is starch from the cassava root.
• Sabudana is the Indian name for starch pearls. In India they are made from tapioca but called sago.

In practice, when an Indian recipe says "sago" or "sabudana", it means tapioca pearls. The pearls come in different sizes. Small ones suit desserts and kheer, medium ones khichdi and vada. The large, coloured balls for bubble tea are a separate product.

Safety: cassava and sago pearls

Raw cassava root is toxic and must always be cooked. Sabudana pearls are not raw root but purified, processed starch. Even so, do not eat the pearls raw: always soak them, then cook, fry or bake them. Read more about the root itself in our post on how to cook cassava safely.

How to soak sabudana

Soaking decides whether the pearls stay separate or turn into a sticky mass.

1. Put the pearls in a bowl and rinse them 2 to 3 times, until the water is less cloudy.
2. Add fresh water so that it only just covers the pearls. Too much water makes them sticky.
3. Leave for a few hours, usually 4 to 6, or overnight. The time depends on the size of the pearls.
4. Check: a well-soaked pearl crushes between your fingers with no hard centre.

If there is water left at the bottom in the morning, pour it off. The pearls should be moist but separate.

Recipe: sabudana khichdi

Sabudana khichdi is a dish of soaked pearls, potato and peanuts. In western India it is often eaten on fasting days, for example during Navratri.

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 cup sabudana, soaked,
• ½ cup roasted peanuts, coarsely ground,
• 1 boiled potato, diced,
• 2 tablespoons ghee or oil,
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds,
• 1 green chilli, chopped,
• a few curry leaves (optional),
• salt, a little sugar, lemon juice, fresh coriander.

Method:

1. Mix the soaked sabudana with the peanuts, salt and a pinch of sugar.
2. Fry the cumin, chilli and curry leaves in the ghee.
3. Add the potato and fry for 2 minutes.
4. Add the sabudana and fry over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until the pearls turn translucent.
5. Finish with lemon juice and coriander and serve at once.

Other ways to use sago

• Sabudana vada: fritters of pearls, potato and peanuts, deep-fried.
• Sabudana kheer or payasam: pearls cooked in milk with sugar and cardamom.
• Coconut milk desserts: in Southeast Asian cooking.
• Thickening: small tapioca thickens soups and fruit pie fillings.

Where to buy sago in Poland

At Little India you can buy sabudana Telugu Foods, medium sabudana pearls Aiva and tapioca sago Angel. Other products are in the tapioca 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 also about sabja, or basil seeds.