Sabudana Shengdana Kadhi

Ingredients

• Sago – ¼ cup
• Water – 1 cup, to cook the sago
• Fresh curd – 1½ cups, at room temperature
• Roasted peanuts – ½ cup, cooled and finely ground
• Water – 1½ to 2 cups, for the curry
• Green chillies – 2, slit
• Ginger – 1 tsp, finely grated
• Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
• Sugar or jaggery – 1 tsp, optional
• Rock salt for fasting, or regular salt – as needed
• Ghee – 1 tbsp
• Coriander – 2 tbsp, chopped

Method

1. Rinse the sago until the water is nearly clear. Put it in a small pan with 1 cup water and cook over low to medium-low heat, stirring regularly, until the pearls are soft and mostly translucent. Add a splash of hot water only if they remain hard after the liquid is absorbed.
2. Transfer the cooked sago to a bowl. It will thicken while standing; loosen it with 2 to 3 tablespoons warm water so the pearls do not set into one lump.
3. Whisk the room-temperature curd until completely smooth. Add the finely ground roasted peanut, 1½ cups water, salt and optional sugar or jaggery. Whisk again so no peanut or curd lumps remain.
4. Heat ghee in a heavy pan over low heat. Add cumin; when it crackles, add green chilli and ginger and stir for 20 to 30 seconds without browning them.
5. Keep the heat low and pour in the yogurt-peanut mixture while stirring continuously. Warm it gently for 4 to 5 minutes. Do not allow a rolling boil, which can split the curd.
6. Add the cooked sago and mix well. If the curry is thicker than a pourable kadhi, add a little hot water. Simmer very gently for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often so the peanut does not catch at the bottom.
7. Taste and balance the salt and mild sweetness. Turn off the heat while the curry is still slightly thinner than desired because both peanut and sago thicken it as it rests.
8. Finish with coriander and serve warm. This is a sabudana variation; the traditional dahi-shengdanyachi aamti is normally made without sago.