Gluten-free Sabudana cheese veg dumplings.

Aathira Sethumadhavan’s vrat-friendly festive recipe.

The festive season often brings a desire for indulgent dishes, but preparing meals that are both satisfying and fasting-friendly can be a challenge. Nutritionist and digital creator Aathira Sethumadhavan recently shared a recipe that strikes the perfect balance- cheese and vegetable dumplings made with sabudana (tapioca pearls). These dumplings are light, gluten-free, and ideal for Navratri fasting, offering a creative twist on the traditional sabudana preparations.

Describing her creation, Sethumadhavan highlighted the dumplings as “soft, chewy and stuffed with a cheesy veggie filling”. Steamed to perfection, they are wholesome yet indulgent, making them a delightful addition to festive menus. Beyond taste, the recipe also delivers on nutrition: five dumplings amount to just 325 calories, with 7 grams of protein, 52 grams of carbohydrates, and 10 grams of fat. Each dumpling carries approximately 65 calories, making them a balanced option for those observing vrat.

Ingredients

For the dough

• ½ cup sabudana (100g), soaked in hot water
• ½ tsp oil, for greasing hands

For the filling

• 1 tsp light butter (5g)
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped (10g)
• ½ cup broccoli, grated or chopped (50g)
• ½ cup mushrooms, finely chopped (50g)
• ¼ cup sweet corn (40g)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• ¼ cup paneer, grated (50g)
• 1 tbsp cream cheese (15g)

Method

1. Soak sabudana in hot water for 20 minutes, then drain thoroughly.
2. Heat butter in a pan and sauté chillies, broccoli, mushrooms, and corn with salt and pepper.
3. Add paneer and cream cheese, mix well, and allow the filling to cool.
4. Mash the soaked sabudana until it forms a sticky dough.
5. Grease your hands, flatten a portion of the dough, and place a spoonful of filling in the centre. Cover with more sabudana and shape into dumplings.
6. Steam for 4-5 minutes until translucent and cooked.

A Festive Treat

These dumplings are not only vrat-compliant but also versatile enough to be enjoyed beyond fasting days. Their chewy sabudana shell paired with a creamy, vegetable-rich filling makes them a crowd-pleaser. With balanced nutrition and indulgent flavour, they embody the spirit of festive cooking-comforting, celebratory, and mindful.