Quinoa Sago Pudding / Kheer

Hey , am back after the long gap.. Well ! atleast for me it was a looooonnnngggg one .. Without the internet world seemed to be stopped. Now, am busy again with the blogging world.. 😀 Happy and Content !

Cooking was the only pass time during last week for me. An escape from the arranging and managing of already unpacked stuff. Anyways, this was one of the long awaited recipe I was hoping to try soon. Have read a lot about Quinoa. Its known to be an excellent source of proteins for vegetarians. Rich in fiber and other minerals, this is a new super food.

Sabudana is a staple in many homes, although it has never been in ours. For a while, I have been experimenting with many things, thought of including sabudana in that list. Since sago  doesnt offer much health benefits apart from high carbs and starch content, the idea of adding quinoa turned out to be brilliant in terms of taste and health both. This kheer was amazing in texture and flavor. An excellent dessert recipe for kids and adult sweet teeth 😀

Ingredients:
1. 1 cup pearl sago
2. 1 cup Quinoa
3. 3/4 cup Sugar
4. 3 cups whole milk
5. 1 white bread piece ( optional )
6. 4-5 strands of saffron
7. 1/4 cup dry nuts ( I took Pistachios and Cashews )

Method:
1. Soak quinoa for 4-5 hours and sago for 30 min separately. Drain and keep in separate bowls.
2. Boil some water in a pan, add Quinoa and turn the flame to low. Keep stirring frequently for 4-5 minutes till it gets transparent and fluffy.

3. Add milk and bring to a boil. Meanwhile soak saffron strands in 1 tsp warm milk and keep aside.
4. Now pour sago pearls and sugar and turn the flame to low-medium. Simmer for 5-6 min till the sago turns transparent and tender.

5. Crush the bread piece finely and mix with the kheer . This is only used to thicken the kheer and enhance the texture.
6. Garnish with saffron and nuts.

Notes:
1. I have not roasted the nuts for making it low calorie. You can roast the nuts in 1 tsp ghee for richer taste.

Linking this to Kalyani’s Indian Mithayi Mela, and to Jabeen’s Iftar Nights, also to ” fasting to feasting”