Vegetable sagu is a popular side dish from Karnataka prepared with mixed vegetables, and freshly ground masala made of coconut, coriander, fried gram, poppy seeds, and spices.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

For Grinding

  • 1/2 cup fresh coconut
  • 2-3 green chilies
  • 1 inch ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic (optional)
  • 1/2 cup coriander leaves
  • 2 tablespoons mint leaves (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons fried gram ((dalia, putani))
  • 1 teaspoon poppy seeds ((khus khus))
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/2 inch cinnamon stick
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 cardamom
  • 1/2-3/4 cup water (for blending)

Other Ingredients for Veg Sagu

  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon urad dal
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • 1 medium onion (finely chopped, optional)
  • 2 cups mixed veggies ((carrot, beans, potato, green peas))
  • 1 cup water (to cook the veggies)
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • salt (to taste)

Method

Stovetop Method

  1. Chop all the vegetables. Transfer the chopped veggies like carrots, green beans, potatoes, green peas, 1 cup of water into a pressure cooker. Add a little salt and a pinch of turmeric. Pressure Cook for 1 whistle. Note: Ensure the veggies are cooked right, neither uncooked, or too mushy. You can also steam the veggies in the cooker or microwave.
  2. Meanwhile, In a blender, add all the ingredients listed under "for grinding" like coconut, green chilies, ginger, garlic, coriander leaves, mint leaves, putani (dalia), poppy seeds (khus khus), cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and little water to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
  3. Heat oil in a kadai, once hot, add mustard seeds and urad dal. Saute for a few seconds till the dal turns light brown.
  4. Then, add curry leaves and finely chopped onions. Saute until they turn translucent.
  5. Next, Add the ground masala and saute for 2-3 minutes until the raw smell of the paste disappears.
  6. Add the cooked veggies along with the water and mix well. At this stage, add more water if required to adjust the consistency and salt to taste.
  7. Bring the mixture to a boil for 1-2 minutes on low heat. Delicious vegetable sagu is ready. Enjoy it with poori, chapati, or rava idli.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.