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Sabudana Kheer is a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth delight where tapioca pearls meet saffron-kissed milk. Rich, comforting, and perfectly indulgent and a festive favorite in every spoonful!

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Back in Mumbai, when Janmashtami ("Lord Krishna's birthday") or Navratri came around, we could always sense the scent of Sabudana kheer simmering on the stove in the kitchen. My mother would stir the pot gently as we hovered, waiting for the first spoonful. Even to this day, it feels like more than mere dessert. It's tradition, comfort and a festival warmth shared with family!

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Ingredients
Instructions
How to Store
Top Tip
Common Problems and Solutions
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Creamy Sabudana Kheer

Ingredients

See recipe card for quantities.

In Indian culture, Sabudana Kheer holds special significance during fasting periods, particularly during Navratri when many devotees abstain from grains. The humble tapioca pearl transforms into a celebratory treat that's both permissible during fasts and satisfying to the sweet tooth. It can also be made for celebrations, family gatherings, or simply as a special dessert after dinner.

Instructions

Roast the nuts - Heat ghee in a deep pan. Add the almonds, cashews, pistachios and raisins. Roast until they are golden and smell fragrant, then take them out and set aside.
Sauté the soaked sabudana -
- In the same pan, transfer the soaked sabudana.
- Stir in the pearls and cook for 2-3 minutes, until they start to turn a little translucent.
- Sauteing in ghee before adding milk prevents the pearls from sticking together and adds a rich flavor that makes the kheer taste even better.
Cook with milk -
- Pour in the milk and stir.
- Allow it to come to a low boil on medium heat.
- Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Add flavor -
- Add in the saffron strands and cardamom powder.
- Let the kheer cook till the sabudana is soft and the kheer has thickened.
Sweeten it up -
- Add sugar and stir well.
- Simmer for 3-4 more minutes and adjust the consistency as you like it-thick and creamy, or a bit soupy.
Finish with nuts -
- Put the nuts in the kheer.
- Stir and let the flavors marry.
Serve-
- Pour the sabudana kheer in bowls.
- Serve warm and share a little of the seasonal sweetness with family.

How to Serve

Some ideas to serve sabudana kheer in an appealing way:

Garnish with slivered almonds, pistachios, or a few saffron strands for color & crunch.
Serve alongside a light Indian snack like poori for a festive meal.
Pair with fruits like mango slices (when in season) for a fresh contrast.
For children or guests, you could serve it in small cups with a sprinkle of rose water or dried rose petals.

Top Tips

Use a thick-bottomed pot so heat distributes evenly and milk doesn't burn at bottom.
Low, steady heat with frequent stirring is better than high heat-slow simmer gives better creaminess.
A wooden spoon is ideal for stirring, as it prevents the kheer from sticking to the bottom without scratching your cookware. The wooden handle also stays cool while you're stirring the hot mixture.
Always check one pearl before finishing to see if it's fully cooked in center.
Roast nuts (cashews, almonds) beforehand for crunch and aroma-adds depth.

How to Store

Leftovers Type	How Long It Keeps	How to Store
In Refrigerator	2-3 days	Cool completely, transfer to an airtight container. Before serving, you can reheat gently on stove or microwave. If too thick, add a bit of milk to loosen.
Freezing	Not recommended	Sabudana pearls lose texture when frozen/thawed — they tend to become mushy; best to avoid freezing.

Top Tip

Soaking sabudana softens the pearls and helps them cook evenly, giving the kheer a creamy texture instead of turning lumpy or hard.

Common Problems and Solutions

Mistake	Result	Solution
Sabudana not soaked long enough	Pearls remain chewy or hard in center, and may cause uneven cooking	Always soak at least 3- 4 hours minutes; test one pearl before full cooking. If still hard, let simmer more with low heat.
Cooking on too high heat or using thin pan	Milk burns/sticks to bottom or layer forms and may cause uneven texture	Use heavy-bottomed pan; stir frequently; cook on medium-low heat.
Not rinsing sabudana	Excess starch causes clumping or gummy texture	Rinse until water runs mostly clear.

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Creamy Sabudana Kheer

Author:

Soniya Saluja

Sabudana Kheer is a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth delight where tapioca pearls meet saffron-kissed milk. Rich, comforting, and perfectly indulgent and a festive favorite in every spoonful!

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: creamy sabudana kheer, fasting recipe, navratri

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 15

Servings:

6 people

Calories:

328kcal

Ingredients

1 cup sabudana tapioca pearls, soaked for 3-4 hours
1 tablespoon ghee
½ cup mixed nuts almonds, cashews, pistachios, raisins
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
A few saffron strands
4 cups milk about 1 liter
½ cup sugar adjust to taste

Instructions

Rinse the sabudana multiple times with water until the water runs clear removing excess starch. Then soak them in room temperature water for around 15 minutes.
Roast the nuts - Heat ghee in a deep pan. Add the almonds, cashews, pistachios and raisins. Roast until they are golden and smell fragrant, then take them out and set aside.

Sauté the sabudana -

In the same pan, transfer the soaked sabudana.
Stir in the pearls and cook for 2-3 minutes, until they start to turn a little translucent.
Sauteing in ghee before adding milk prevents the pearls from sticking together and adds a rich flavor that makes the kheer taste even better.

Cook with milk -

Pour in the milk and stir.
Allow it to come to a low boil on medium heat.
Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Add flavor -

Add in the saffron strands and cardamom powder.
Let the kheer cook till the sabudana is soft and the kheer has thickened.

Sweeten it up -

Add sugar and stir well.
Simmer for 3-4 more minutes and adjust the consistency as you like it-thick and creamy, or a bit soupy.

Finish with nuts -

Put the nuts in the kheer.
Stir and let the flavors marry.

Serve-

Pour the sabudana kheer in bowls.
Serve warm and share a little of the seasonal sweetness with family.

Video

Notes

Instructions to make in Instant Pot

Roast nuts (Sauté → Normal): Heat ghee, roast nuts/raisins till golden. Remove.
Toast sabudana: In the same pot, add drained sabudana. Sauté 1-2 min (lightly toasty = fewer clumps).
Deglaze: Add 1½ cups water and scrape the base clean. Cancel Sauté.
Pressure cook pearls (no milk yet = no "Burn"): Lid on → Pressure Cook/Manual, High, 2 minutes. Natural Release 10 minutes, then quick-release the rest.
Add milk & flavor: Open, stir. Add milk + saffron milk + cardamom. Sauté → Less (low) and simmer 5-7 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until pearls are fully translucent and the kheer looks creamy.
Sweeten: Stir in sugar; simmer 2 minutes to dissolve and slightly thicken.
Finish: Stir back the roasted nuts. Rest 5 minutes (it thickens as it stands). Adjust with hot milk if it gets too thick. Serve warm or chilled.

Nutrition

Ingredients