Spicy Turmeric Sago is a delicious gluten-free, VEGAN breakfast made with soft sago pearls, potato, crunchy peanut and pomegranate. You will love the riot of textures and flavors going on in your mouth.
Sago is the edible starch from the pith of palm trees. Now if you love BOBA TEA sago is quite similar soft chewy clear like a raindrop once cooked. Ideal for lunch box item and leftovers to heat and eat anytime. Whats more its a make ahead breakfast.
How to get this sago breakfast right?
- Rinse sago at least 3-4 times before soaking to wash off most of the starch. Drain off all the water.
- Soak sago in 1: 1 proportion always unless the package says otherwise. I usually soak it overnight so the sago absorbs all the water by morning. When you press on a pearl it should smash to paste completely without leaving any hard bits. Else it needs more soaking.
- Cook sago for 4-5 minutes only once more than half the pearls turns translucent remove from heat. Otherwise you will end up with a clumpy ball.
- Sago is basically bland but it will absorb flavors you add in.
I cannot insist enough please follow the above steps to the T because sago is very finicky.
Spicy Turmeric sago is my adaption of a very traditional West Indian breakfast made usually during festival fasting days. Many ingredients such as onion, ginger etc are not included on such days by them.
Spicy Turmeric Sago
Ingredients
- 1 cup Sago pearls
- 1 Potato cut into small pieces
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 inch piece Ginger chopped
- 1 Green chili chopped (optional) a small piece of bell pepper can be added instead for color n flavor
- 1 small Red onion chopped
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
- Salt to taste.
- 2-3 tsp Cooking oil
Garnish
- 1/2 cup Peanut - Roasted
- Few sprigs Coriander leaves - chopped
- 2 tbsp Pomegranate arils
Instructions
- Riinse sago pearls at least 3-4 times so most of the starch is washed off.Drain all the excess water. Then SOAK in 1 cup water. More water will turn the sago into a big mush. Cover and keep overnight. These steps are very important to get the dish right.
- When you are ready to make the sago dish check by pressing a single sago pearl nicely and it should turn to a paste in-between the fingers. If there are hard bits sago is not ready yet. Fluff the sago with with fork before cooking.
- Heat 2-3 tsp of cooking oil when hot add mustard seeds when it crackles reduce heat add cumin seeds then ginger chopped green chili chopped (optional)
- Add onion chopped when it turns pink add turmeric powder, salt to taste and mix well now add tiny chopped potato stir once more and cook covered until the potato is cooked well and slightly brown.
- Meanwhile dry roast peanuts if you have raw ones.Else used roasted peanuts. If have leftover salted ones from trail mix etc use that just remember to adjust salt before hand. Keep this ready.
- Once the potato is ready add sago pearls mix well sprinkle a little water on top cover and COOK ONLY for 4-5 minutes . Open lid stir well it should not look opaque but more than half should look translucent. Sago should fall freely and not clumped up. ((If you do not want to use entire sago refrigerate remaining and use next day.))
- DO NOT OVER COOK Sago it will simply clump up and mess up the dish.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves, roasted peanuts and pomegranate arils. Serve immediately with a cup of tea or coffee.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
What to do if sago clumps up in spite of being careful?
Too much moisture is sago's enemy in this dish so to rescue the dish simply powder a handful of roasted peanuts and add to the sago gently stir. No need to heat, allow it to sit for some time and the peanut powder will absorb excess moisture and help sago separate from each other. Or coarsely crush unsweetened plain corn flakes and add to the sago mix gently and allow it for sometime so the cornflakes soaks in the moisture.
Hope you will give this yummy sago breakfast a try and let me know.
Meena
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