Sabudana Vada

5 from 1 vote

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!

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Resting Time4

Total Time35

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 374kcal

Author: Smruti

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.

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.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.