Navratri 2025: 5 foods to combine with sabudana to boost its nutritional content

With Shardiya Navratri around the corner, the demand for fasting foods will see a spike in the market. And one of the most popular and common foods is Sabudana, or tapioca pearls. These white pearls are light, easily digestible, and naturally gluten-free, which provides quick energy without overloading the digestive system, making them ideal for long fasting hours. Typically soaked and cooked before consumption, sabudana pearls can be prepared in a variety of ways—stir-fried with peanuts and spices, made into khichdi, or even shaped into vadas and pancakes. They are rich in carbohydrates, which help sustain energy levels, while pairing them with nuts, seeds, or yogurt enhances their nutritional value by adding protein, healthy fats, and probiotics. A study states that chewing tapioca pearls in bubble tea could improve saliva quality by reducing inflammatory markers (CRP) and increasing calcium levels in saliva, suggesting an oral health benefit. While bubble tea is the latest trend, there are many traditional dishes that are made with sabudana during fasting, and here we have curated a list of foods that can be added to sabudana to boost its nutritional content.

This is one of the most common foods, commonly added to sabudana to add protein, healthy fats, and a satisfying crunch, during fasting days. According to a study, Peanuts are an excellent source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, dietary fiber, plant proteins, vitamins (B group, E), minerals (magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, copper), and antioxidants such as resveratrol, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and phytosterols.

How to consume: One can add roasted peanuts to sabudana khichdi or poha and the cursed ones can be added in the tikka or cutlet mixture to give the right texture and colour as well.

Grated fresh or desiccated coconut provides fiber, essential minerals, and a subtle sweetness and blends well with starch of sabudana offering a delectable texture. As per experts, coconut kernel protein and mature coconut water help lower blood glucose, improve insulin levels, and reduce diabetes-related pancreatic damage in animal studies, supporting blood sugar regulation.
How to consume: One can simply grate fresh coconut to sabudana poha or khichdi and the desiccated coconut can be added to tikki or cutlet while preparing the mixture to add texture and subtle sweetness.

Mixing in a spoon of yogurt adds probiotics and protein, improving digestion and gut health during the fasting days. As per a study, curd contains live probiotic bacteria (like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria) that help improve gut health by balancing intestinal flora, reducing symptoms of diarrhea, bloating, and constipation, and managing conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease.
How to consume: One can soak the sabudana pearls and then saute them in ghee and then mix into curd along with cumin powder, black pepper, sugar, and sendha namak.

Finely chopped vegetables like carrots, capsicum, or beans can be clubbed with sabudana to enhance fiber, vitamins, and minerals intake during fasting duration. They together make sabudana a more balanced meal.
How to consume: While making poha or khichdi one can saute finely chopped veggies in ghee and then add sabudana pearls to it. This makes the dish nutritious and colourful. And while making cheela or tikki they can be grated and added to the mixture.

Seeds like flax seeds, chia seeds, or pumpkin seeds are rich in omega-3s, antioxidants, and essential micronutrients and they can be combined together during fasting days to balance out micro and macros nutrient consumption. For instance, pumpkin seeds contain proteins, healthy fats, fiber, and essential minerals such as magnesium, zinc, manganese, phosphorus, and iron. These contribute to overall health maintenance.
How to consume: One can either powder them and add to tikka or cheela, or simply add roasted seeds to sabudana khichdi or poha as a topping.

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is meant for general knowledge only and should not be taken as medical advice. Always talk to your doctor before starting any new routine.