Sabudana (Tapioca) is an Indian ingredient developed from the starch of cassava roots. Sabudana is basically inherited from Brazil. But now it has been used by South America, West India, and Asia. Cassava is usually generated in the poor soil and moderate climate. Most of the countries use it as a thickening ingredient in food. The major town in India like Mumbai, Delhi, Gujarat, Bhopal, and Jaipur uses it as a street food.
Cassava root can be used in various ways. As a human food, it can consume in boiled form, beet, and flour or as a fried meal. In India, Sabudana can be consumed, when individuals keep a fast. In festival season how to make Sabudana Chivda is a most asked question over the internet because Sabudana is the good cradle of energy, as it encompasses carbohydrate. The starch that generates from the cassava root is used to make salty and sweet dishes like Sabudanakhichdi, noodles, and milk.
Creation and use of Sabudana:
- Cassava roots have white flesh, which makes them sweet in taste. However, it cannot be consumed till it properly treated. It contains cyanogenic glycoside that may be unhealthy or dangerous for human body.
- Sabudana pearls have a high amount of carbohydrates, so they are the good source of energy.
- Sabudana has a massive amount of iron. It plays a substantial role in the formation of new red blood cell in human body.
- Cassava starch has so many forms, though tapioca seeds are most commonly used form, which is available in many sizes. Sabudana is the main ingredient of sabudana chivda recipe. Always before the use pearls must be soaked at least for 3-4 hours. Tapioca sticks usually have the white color, but pearl (sabudana) may available in different colours.
- This is also basic source of B-Complex vitamins’. That can be used to cure the birth defects by reducing neural tube infection in children.
- It contains dietary fibre, which is an important requirement of the people, as it improves digestion.
- Sabudana helps to lower the cholesterol level in the human body.
- Generally, people consume meat, fish, eggs and dairy products to complete the need of protein, but no one knows that sabudana is a big store of protein. It does provide ample amount of protein to the human body for essential activities and muscle growth.
- Sabudana reduces the stress of blood vessels and increases the blood flow level as it holds potassium.
- This is the big source of Vitamin K, which helps in the improvement of mental health. It can help to condense the probabilities of Alzheimer’s disease.
Types of Sabudana:
There are two varieties of Sabudana. The first variety is baked and dried Sabudana, and second is Boiled and dried Sabudana, which is known as Nylon Sabudana. Sabudana should not be used in unprocessed form because it contains mosaic virus.
1) Baked and dried Sabudana: This is popularly used form of sabudana in the eastern part of India. It can be available in three sizes:
- Size between 1mm to 1.5 mm is known as Motidana
- Size between 2mm to 2.5 mm is known as Khirdana.
- Size between 5mm to 7mm is known as Badadana.
2) Nylon Sabudana: This also has three types:
- 2mm size nylon sabudana is known as Chinidana.
- 3mm size nylon sabudanais known as Ceylon Nylon.
- 5mm to 7mm size nylon sabudana is known as “Glass Nylon”.