Sabudana Vada, fritters made from tapioca pearls (sago), potatoes and a few other ingredients are addictive yet easy to make.
Deep fried fritters of joy; these are pretty easy to make and always great when served with cilantro chutney and masala chai!
Fasting has so many different meanings. And given how diverse India is; there are several versions of fasts. From not eating at all, to just thriving on boiled water to enjoying platters full of fast friendly foods.
Fasting in common on special occasions and festivals like Mahashivratri, Holi, Janmashtami, Ekadashi etc. Sabudana, samai, kuttu, rajgira, all kinds of potatoes and yams find an application during these fasting days.
These are made into tikki, vada, paratha or khichdi for breakfast or brunch, as a side or for a complete meal.
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What is Sabudana
Sabudana or Indian sago is a starch made from the roots of cassava plant. This is neither a grain nor cereal; making it great for fasting just like quinoa and rajgira.
They are a great ingredient to use in recipes for fasting days and for other days too.
These pearls are pure starch; making them high in calories and carbohydrates. These keep us fuller for longer time. While it is great on fasting days, sabudana is not the perfect ingredient if you are trying to loose weight.
Plus, it is often heavy to digest. Adding some pepper powder, cumin seeds etc. help in digesting it with ease.
In Gujarat and Maharashtra sabudana is predominantly used in fasting recipes. Sabudana Kheer, Sabudana Khichdi and Sabudana Pancakes are the popular ways to enjoy them.
About Sabudana Vada
Sabudana Vada is a popular Indian snack. Fritters made from tapioca/sabudana with a few other ingredients, these are crisp outside and perfectly soft inside.
Served with cilantro chutney and Masala Chai; these are great for fasting days like Navratri, Maha Shivratri and so on.
While I do enjoy the non-fried sabudana vada made in the paniyaram stand to cut out the calories from frying; these fried vadas are a real treat. Whether you like to enjoy them some times or love them often, they are indeed amazing.
This recipe is popular in Mumbai and throughout Maharashtra. There are several restaurants that serve this with sweet yogurt, chutney or likewise. And if you have these at the popular Maharashtrian joints, you will know why these are so addictive and yummy.
Why this recipe works
- This recipe is great to make Sabudana Vada as a snack or appetizer.
- It also works really well as a breakfast recipe like so many Maharashtrian restaurants in India.
- Sabudana vada is naturally Vegan and gluten-free.
- We can make the vada up to a day in advance and fry them just before serving.
- While we can refrigerate completely prepared vada too; these do not refry very well. they can be air fried before serving but the taste is compromised.
- I have used these rolled vadas to deep fry; however, the same can also be baked, made in the air fryer or cooked in a paniyaram stand.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Sabudana (tapioca pearls): This is the prime ingredient in the recipe. I like to use regular size sabudana but the mini ones work too. Simply soak the tapioca pearls in water before using.
- Potato: The other main ingredient in the recipe is boiled potatoes. This is the binding agent for the tapioca pearls and spices. My favorite way to boil the potatoes is definitely using the pressure cooker. However, microwave or instant pot can be used too.
- Peanuts: These vadas are perfect to be made with roasted peanuts. Ground peanuts are great to add crunch to the recipe. They can be used with or without their skins.
- Seasonings: We use some seasonings in the recipe. I generally add minced green chili, grated ginger, Cumin Seeds, Black Pepper Powder, salt, sugar and lemon juice.
- Cilantro: The perfect ingredient to add freshness to the recipe is cilantro. Finely chopped cilantro with all the other ingredients is great in the recipe.
- Oil: We use oil to fry the sabudana vada. Any neutral oil with a high smoke point works here.
See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.
How to make this recipe
1- Rinse 1 cup sabudana well and soak in ¾ cup water for at least 6 hours or overnight.
2- After soaking, the pearls should be soft and there should not be any water left in the bowl.
3- Dry roast the peanuts on medium flame. Once they are aromatic, remove from flame and cool.
4- Remove the shells and process to a coarse powder; set aside.
5- Pressure cook the potatoes with a pinch of salt.
6- Peel and mash them; set aside.
7- In a bowl add these
- 1 cup Sabudana
- 2 medium Potatoes
- ⅓ cup Roasted peanut powder.
8- Then add all these ingredients except oil to the bowl.
- 1 teaspoon Green chili and ginger paste
- ¼ cup Cilantro (chopped)
- 1 tsp Cumin Powder
- ½ tsp Black Pepper Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 ½ tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Lime Juice
9- Using a potato masher or your palms mash the mixture well.
10- Apply some oil on your palms and divide the mixture into 10 parts. Flatten each part to form a vada.
11- Heat oil in a pan and once hot, add the vadas. Make sure you do not crowd the pan too much.
12- Fry on medium flame; flipping a couple of times.
13- Fry them till the outer covering is crisp and golden brown. Do not fry on high flame else the vada will burn. Transfer on to paper towels.
14- Serve with cilantro chutney or tomato ketchup. These vadas taste great with masala chai.
Expert Tips and Notes
Perfect sabudana vada are those which are crisp on the outside while being soft yet cooked inside. Here are some easy ways to ensure you get a perfect batch each time.
- Soak the sabudana ahead of time so they absorb the water but are not soggy when it is time to fry them. I like to use ¾ cup water for every cup of sabudana.
- Check if the sabudana is soaked well. To do so, press it between your fingers. It should mash easily and not be powdery.
- The potatoes should be moisture free too. Boil them and let them cool for a while so the potatoes are dry. It is also a great idea to boil them before time.
- Crush the roasted peanuts well. If they are very coarse then the vadas will not be smooth.
- Fry the vadas on medium flame. If they are fried in hot oil; they will brown quickly but not cook through.
- Do not overcrowd the pan while frying. The raw vadas will stick to each other if they are too close to each other.
- The chili and black pepper powder are used for heat. These are not spicy but definitely have a hint of spice. If you like the vada bland, reduce both of them to get the heat right.
Addressing common concerns
- A popular complaint many people have while making these is that the vadas separate when fried. Or that they fry in a way that the hot oil splutters all over. The easiest way to avoid this is to make sure ALL the ingredients are dry before rolling them. If there is water, that splutters out and makes quite a mess.
- These taste great when hot. Even though the vada is crisp when fried, they tend to become soggy over time. So avoid making them in advance. Fry them only when you are ready to enjoy them with chutney, yogurt or chai.
- In case there are leftovers, re-heat them in the oven. That is the easiest way to make them crisp again. Heating them in the microwave makes them soggy and weird in texture.
Variations
The ingredients I use are the ones typically used in fasting recipes. If there are ingredients that you do not like or enjoy like ginger; skip them.
If the recipe is not for fasting or you consume turmeric and red chili powder in fasts, add them to the recipe.
You can also add diced vegetables or nuts as you like.
I used the regular size sabudana but you can use the mini ones too. The mini ones do not need to be soaked; they can be rinsed and washed immediately.
Add more potatoes if you like the vada crisp. They tend to fry and make the vada super crisp.
Recipe FAQs
Yes certainly. The same recipe will work for all versions of vada. Deep fry them or bake them at 400 F for 20-25 minutes in a preheated oven or air fryer.
Frying vadas in medium hot oil makes the best crisp vadas. Frying them in super hot oil will cook the outside and keep the inside raw and soft. Make sure the temperature of oil remains same throughout the frying process.
As we use a large amount of carb and calorie dense ingredients like potatoes, sabudana and peanuts; this recipe is not exactly healthy. Moreover; we fry them and that keeps it from being classified as healthy too. So consume them in moderation.
vadas remain oily when fried in cld oil. Another reason why the correct temperature is important. Plus, soggy potatoes will absorb far more oil than dry ones. So make sure you have the potatoes dry when frying the vadas.
Sabudana vada will burst or break when there is excess moisture. Ensure the potatoes and sabudana are free from most of the moisture before frying them to avoid this.
Pairings
Sabudana Vada pairs wonderfully with sides, chai and other recipes. Here are some great pairings for it.
More Fasting Recipes
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Sabudana Vada
Ingredients
- 1 cup Sabudana
- 2 medium Potato
- 1 teaspoon Green chili and ginger paste
- ⅓ cup Peanuts
- ¼ cup Cilantro (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Lime Juice
- Oil to fry
Instructions
- Rinse the sabudana well and soak in ¾ cup water for at least 6 hours or overnight. After soaking, the pearls should be soft.
- Dry roast the peanuts on medium flame. Once they are aromatic, remove from flame and cool.
- Process to a coarse powder and set aside.
- In a bowl shred or mash the boiled potato.
- Add the peanuts and sabudana. Mix well.
- Then add all the remaining ingredients except oil.
- Using a potato masher, mash the mixture well.
- Apply some oil on your palms and divide the mixture into 2 tablespoon parts.
- Roll each part into a ball and flatten them.
- Repeat for all of the mixture and keep the vada ready.
- Heat oil in a pan and once hot, add the vadas. Make sure you do not crowd the pan too much.
- Fry on medium flame till the outer covering is crisp. Do not fry on high flame else the vada will burn.
- Transfer on to paper towels.
- Serve with cilantro chutney or tomato ketchup. These vadas taste great with masala chai.
Video
Notes
- Soak the sabudana ahead of time so they absorb the water but are not soggy when it is time to fry them. I like to use ¾ cup water for every cup of sabudana.
- Check if the sabudana is soaked well. To do so, press it between your fingers. It should mash easily and not be powdery.
- The potatoes should be moisture free too. Boil them and let them cool for a while so the potatoes are dry. It is also a great idea to boil them before time.
- Crush the roasted peanuts well. If they are very coarse then the vadas will not be smooth.
- Fry the vadas on medium flame. If they are fried in hot oil; they will brown quickly but not cook through.
- Do not overcrowd the pan while frying. The raw vadas will stick to each other if they are too close to each other.
- The chili and black pepper powder are used for heat. These are not spicy but definitely have a hint of spice. If you like the vada bland, reduce both of them to get the heat right.
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