Sabudana Kheer Instant Pot Tapioca Pudding

I was introduced to Sabudana kheer by a dear friend here in the US. My husband is from Tamil Nadu, and they often make tapioca pudding. While at my home, we only made sabudana khichdi and sabudana vada. I was blown away by how much I loved Sabudana Kheer in that first bite I took a decade ago. This recipe is creamy, nutty, and mildly sweet perfumed with hints of saffron and cardamom. This sabudana kheer recipe is made in every part of the world. Sabudana kheer in English is Tapioca Pudding. And every culture makes a version of it! And I make this recipe using my Instant Pot, which makes it easy to make, hassle-free and gets ready in just under 15-20 minutes. It is the best! Buy my Instant Pot here.

What is Sabudana Kheer?

Sabudana in English means tapioca pearls. So sabudana kheer means tapioca pudding. You will love how easy it is to make this recipe, and how quickly it comes together. I think, in North India, this sago kheer recipe is made during upvas / vrat practiced during Navratri. I am making this Instant Pot Sabudana Kheer with milk, sugar, sabudana, cardamom, and saffron! Once the sago kheer is ready, I roast some nuts in ghee and add them to the creamy kheer. Traditionally, raisins and cashews are added to this recipe. However, my family is not a fan of raisins, so I am adding roughly chopped cashews, almonds, and pistachios. I have also mentioned in the recipe card, how to make this kheer using the stovetop! I like to enjoy this kheer chilled, and creamy. The nuts toasted in ghee add a beautiful crunch and nuttiness to this otherwise very creamy kheer. The Instant Pot Kheer is a dump-and-ready version. We will be adding all the ingredients in the Inner pot of the Instant Pot and pressure cook it on low pressure. Believe me or not, this recipe needs only 10 minutes to cook in the Instant Pot!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This recipe is made using the Instant Pot It is a dump-and-ready recipe, where you put all your ingredients in the Instant pot, pressure cook, and the Instant Pot Sabudana Kheer. This recipe needs no attention from you, no stirring or worrying about milk sticking to the bottom of your pan. Creamy, nutty, and mildly sweet, it is a perfect recipe to make! I like how this recipe is naturally gluten-free! You can make this recipe vegan, instead of using whole milk, use coconut milk or almond milk! And toast your nuts using vegan ghee.

How to Make this Instant Pot Sabudana Kheer Vegan?

I love a delicious kheer made in coconut milk! It is my favorite way of making any kheer vegan. So for this recipe, you will need 2 cups of full-fat canned coconut milk, and 1 teaspoon of vegan ghee to make it vegan! I also substitute castor sugar with coconut sugar or jaggery in this recipe to make it refined sugar-free. You can also add pureed dates to sweeten this recipe.

You Might Also Know Sabudana Kheer As

Ingredients to Make this Sago Kheer

Sabudana - You will need half a cup of sabudana or tapioca pearls, which you’ll have to soak in 1 cup of water for 30 minutes. Whole Milk - I prefer to use whole milk in this recipe, but you can use 2% milk too. If you wish to make this recipe vegan, use 2 cups of canned coconut milk. Sugar - We prefer very mildly sweet puddings hence, I am using ¼th cup of sugar, if you like more sweet, add an extra 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar. Saffron Strands - I like to add saffron strands for the beautiful color it gives this kheer recipe. Cardamom Powder - Indian puddings without cardamom is a big no! So add cardamom powder!!! Ghee - You will need a teaspoon of ghee to toast some nuts to add to the kheer. Nuts - Traditionally, raisins are added, but I prefer to add roughly chopped cashews, almonds, and pistachios in this recipe. Garnishes - You can garnish the kheer before serving with slivered pistachios and saffron strands!

How to Make This Sabudana Kheer Recipe Using The Instant Pot

Soak The Sabudana

Gently wash half a cup of tapioca pearls 2-3 times or until water runs clear. I am soaking the sabudana in the metal insert of the instant pot directly. Now add 1 cup of water to the tapioca pearls and let them soak for a minimum of 30 minutes - up to overnight! You will notice the sabudana has fluffed up. This step is very important so please don’t skip it.

Cook the Kheer

After 30 minutes, start the instant pot on Saute mode, and let the sabudana start to simmer for 2 minutes. Now, add 2 cups of milk to the soaked sabudana in the Instant pot metal insert. Further, add ¼th cup of sugar and 5-6 strands of saffron. Give it a mix. Close the instant pot lid, and make sure the pressure valve is in the sealing position. Press Cancel. Press Pressure Cook. Manually Set the Pressure to Low Pressure, and adjust the cooking time to 10 minutes. In the mean time, in a small frying pan, add 1 teaspoon of ghee. Add roughly chopped nuts. I am using 2 tablespoons of roughly chopped cashews, almonds, and pistachios. Toast them until golden.
Keep a close eye on the nuts as they can burn easily. Once the cooking time is done, wait for the pressure to release naturally for 5-6 minutes, and then do a quick pressure release. Now add the cardamom powder, and toasted nuts. Mix it well. Let the sabudana kheer come to room temperature. You can enjoy the sabudana kheer warm or chilled, however, we love this kheer chilled, so I try to chill the kheer in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving! This sago kheer thickens as it cools, so if you don’t like it thick and creamy, add some milk and adjust the sugar before serving. You can garnish the kheer with slivered pistachios and saffron strands before serving.

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Serving Suggestion

This sabudana kheer can be enjoyed warm or chilled. However, my family prefers to enjoy this kheer chilled, so I try to chill this kheer in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. If you are making this kheer recipe for Navratri, make it with my Sukhi Batata ni Bhaji recipe and Kuttu ki Puri.