I am always in search of good and easy recipes and this one is my recent addition. The first time I had Sago Idli was during a function at my cousins place. Since then, I have made it a couple of times. It’s needs no grinding; thus a boon for us, to prepare something different on daily basis.
Sago pearls is called as sabudaana in Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi and Marathi. It is Sabakki in Kannada, Javvarisi in Tamil, Chavvari in malayalam and Sagubeeyam in Telugu. It is used during fasting in parts of South India and Maharashtra.
My other idli recipes on the blog are Ragi Idli Chennai Idli Kanchipuram Idli
Let’s get cooking Sago Idli. The ingredients are mixed and kept to ferment. The next day or after five hours, one needs to make a seasoning and then put it in the idli stand to steam.

Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup sago pearls
- 1 cup semolina (idli rawa)
- 1.5 cup curd
- 1 cup water
- salt to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon soda
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
- asafoetida a pinch
- 1 teaspoon bengal gram
- 4 cashew broken
- a few curry leaves
Method:
- Take sago and semolina in a bowl. Wash it well and drain the water. Put curd and water to it. Mix it well. The consistency should be moderate. Close a lid and keep it in a warm place to ferment overnight or for five hours.
- Add salt to the batter.
- To make the seasoning: take the oil in a small pan. Add the mustard seeds, as it crackles, put cumin, bengal gram, green chilly pieces, cashew pieces and curry leaves.
- Pour it over the batter.
- Heat the idli steamer. You may grease the plates, I just wash them and use it.
- Add soda to the batter, mix well and put a ladle full in each cavity.
- Put it in the steamer and allow to cook on medium flame for fifteen minutes.
- Idlis should be well cooked.
- Remove the idlis with round edged spoon after sometime.
- Serve with chutney, sambar or sago.
Take a tip:
- The curds used must be sour.
- Small sago pearls are usually used for this. But, I have used the regular ones itself.

Mix sago pearls and semolina in curd. Add a little water to get the medium consistency. Set it aside to ferment for a few hours.

Heat oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds, as it crackles put cumin, bengal gram, green chilly, cashew and curry leaves.

Put salt to the batter and add the prepared seasoning.

Lastly, add a little soda and mix it.

Put the batter in the cavity of the idli moulds.

It is ready to be put in the idli maker. Cook it on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes. The idli should be well cooked from inside also.

Sago idli are ready to serve.

You can serve with chutney, sambar or sago.
Prestige has come with a smart multi kadai. It has anodized body. It can be used for idly and dhokla. One can also use it for regular cooking. You can check it in the link below.
Sago Idli
Sago idli is another variety of idli that needs no grinding. It is a boon for ladies to prepare idlis easily.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sago pearls
- 1 cup semolina (idli rawa)
- 1.5 cup yoghurt (curd)
- 1 cup water
For seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
- asafoetida a pinch
- 1 teaspoon bengal gram
- 5 cashew broken into pieces
- 2 green chilly cut into pieces
- few curry leaves tear them into small bits
Other ingredients
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- salt to taste
- water ( to adjust the consistency of batter)
Instructions
-
Put sago and semolina in a bowl. Wash it and drain the water.
-
Put yoghurtand water to it. Mix them together. The consistency should be moderate.
-
Cover it with a lid and keep it to ferment overnight (atleast five hours)
-
The next day, add salt to it.
-
Make seasoning. Take oil, put the mustard seeds, as it crackles, put cumin, bengal gram, green chilly, curry leaves, cashew pieces and asafoetida.
-
Pour it over the batter.
-
Heat the idly steamer.
-
Grease the plates if you wish. I usually wash them and use right away.
-
Add soda to the batter.Give a stir. Adjust the consistency of batter by adding a little water.
-
Put a ladle full of batter in each cavity.
-
Keep it in the idly cooker and steam for twenty minutes on medium flame.
-
The idly should be well cooked.
-
Remove them after sometime. Serve with chutney, sambar or sago.
Recipe Notes
- The sago pearls used for this are the smaller ones, but I did use the regular ones.
- Yoghurt should be sour.

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Looks amazing and also quite simple to prepare.. Will surely try one of these days…
Thankyou Aditinona. Do let me know how it was
Thankyou Aditinona
Voglio provare farli anch’io, mi incuriosisci molto
Thankyou so much
Gosh, you have taken me back to the time I spent in India last year. I love idli!
Thankyou so much Kacie. Glad to have you here.
I am not a kitchen person and I live by myself, however I am foody. So I am always searching for tasty, and quick and easy recipes. I guess I just found one. Plus, being from Pakistan, this seems very close to my taste 🙂
Thankyou. Glad you liked it Amna Tariq Shah
Looks delightful! I need to give this a try:)
Thankyou Chaundra
Seems taste and easy to prepare as well , prepared few more dishes of your’s earlier , all are too taste . Thanks for sharing .
Thankyou so much Mamtha for such a nice comment. You made my day.
I am really impress with your blog so 3 words for your website, unique information, good selection of topic and quality.
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