Saffron Tapioca Pudding

September 28, 2020mayurisjikoni

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EVENT: FOODIEMONDAY/BLOGHOP

THEME: #266 EXOTIC SAFFRON

RECIPE: SAFFRON TAPIOCA PUDDING

What is Saffron Tapioca Pudding?

Saffron Tapioca Pudding is a sweet dish prepared by cooking soaked tapioca pearls or sabudana in milk till it becomes thick. The pudding can be enjoyed hot or cold. Once the tapioca pearls are soaked well enough making this pudding is very easy. I generally soak them for 4 – 6 hours in plain water. Adding saffron is optional but I’m a huge fan of saffron so look for any opportunity to use it whenever I can.

What is Tapioca Pearls?

Known as tapioca pearls as they look like little tiny pearls or sabudana. Dana in Hindi means small round beads or grains. They also go by the name of tapioca balls. The tapioca balls used in bubble tea(aks Boba tea) in SE Asia are so much larger than the ones we commonly use for Indian Cuisine. Tapioca pearls are made from the starch of cassava.

Difference Between Sago and Tapioca Pearls

Tapioca pearls are a much cheaper version of Sago but definitely not the same. Sago though it looks like tapioca pearls is actually made from the edible spongy starch that is present in the pith of different palm trees. Mainly the spongy pith of the palm Metroxylon Sagu is used and thus the name sagu, or sago.

Adhik Maas/ Purshottam Mahina

I regularly fast on Ekadashi days and occasionally make Sabudana Kheer as an incentive for my hubby to fast too. However, this year 2020 I decided to fast the whole of Adhik Maas or Purshottam Mahina as we know it. This auspicious month comes every two and half years, its more like a leap month for those who follow the Hindu Calendar. Hindu Calendar is lunar based so to keep the solar and lunar calendars this extra month is added.

While this extra month or Adhik Maas is not auspicious for weddings, starting new businesses, entering new homes, celebrating birthdays, etc, it is a month when one can feed cows, recite the Bhagwad Gita, donate essentials to the poor, bathe in the Holy Rivers, listening to religious scriptures, and fasting. While some fast by having only one meal, others fast on fruits and milk only or follow the Ekadashi rules of no grains, beans, onion, garlic or any intoxicating foods and drinks. I’m following the latter.

My Breakfast

As I’m following the Ekadashi rules for the whole month, that doesn’t meal I feast on several dishes. I usually plan one meal which is filling, healthy and nutritious. I made Saffron Tapioca Pudding as my Sunday Brunch. The advantage is that I was able to load it up with chopped fruits which made it more filling. I replaced sugar with honey to make it more healthier.

Difference Between Sabudana Kheer and Saffron Tapioca Pudding

While both terms are interchangeably used by many Food Bloggers, but there is a difference. While my Sabudana Kheer is a bit liquidy as the ratio of tapioca pearls and milk used is different and its generally pretty sweet. On the other hand tapioca pudding is usually made with an egg added to the mixture. However, I’ve made an egg free version by adding a bit more tapioca pearls for the set like pudding. Also as I mentioned I’ve not used refined sugar. Because I used saffron for this pudding, I didn’t add any other spices as I wanted the strong distinct flavour of saffron to come through completely.

FoodieMonday/ Bloghop Group

While tapioca pudding is not restricted to the usage of saffron, I used saffron or kesar as that’s the theme for this week. I suggested that my friends come up with a recipe where Exotic Saffron shines in their dishes, either sweet or savory. As some of my followers may know, Mondays are when this awesome group brings out new recipes according to a theme suggested by the members.

What is Saffron?

Saffron is a precious spice that has tags like exotic, exquisite, elegant, superb, delicious, fragrant, aromatic, luxurious and so much more. What makes it very expensive is that where it is sourced from. Saffron comes from the flower Crocus Sativus also known as Saffron Crocus. Saffron is the threadlike or stigma of the flower. Each flower has only three of these threads! These threads are harvested by hand. Technically it takes a thousand flowers to produce just one ounce of saffron. No wonder my grandmother use to guard it like gold!

How to Make sure you’re buying the real Stuff?

The fragrance – should be sweetish and a bit heady.
The threads are not yellow but all red.

Some Recipes where Saffron is used:

Ingredients Required for Saffron Tapioca Pudding:

Tapioca Pearls – also known as Sabudana
Milk – for vegan version can replace dairy milk with nut milk of your choice
Saffron – I’ve used the strands. Usually to use saffron, you need to crush it and allow it to soak in a hot liquid
Water – for soaking the tapioca pearls
Fresh Fruit – chopped and any fruit of your choice. I had strawberries and pomegranate so used those. You can add chopped mangoes, banana, peaches, nectarine, grapes, chikoo, papaya, apples, pears, etc.

Dietary Tips for Saffron Tapioca Pudding:

Gluten Free
Diabetic Friendly as you can replace the honey with stevia
For Vegan version, replace dairy milk with nut milk
Makes a filling and nutritious breakfast option for all including the elderly