India is a nation with many different religions and cultures; it is common for people to fast every other month. One is told to adhere to a Sattvik diet during these fasts/ vrats/ upvaas, which entails eating only fruits and vegetarian foods. One of the popular fasting foods in India is sabudana vada, which is prepared for celebrations like Navratri, Maha Shivratri, Hartalika Teej, and Ganesh Chaturthi. This starchy food with a lot of carbohydrates and very little protein is called sago or sabudana. It is not a grain or cereal, making it the perfect food for fasting. Sago, the ingredient used to make the vada, is filling and easy on the stomach. This tasty snack recipe includes peanuts, which gives it a nice texture. This recipe for evening tea is ready in under 30 minutes if you have the sago pearls pre-soaked. These crispy and fluffy Sabudana vadas are also delicious for breakfast – my kids love them!
Watch How to Make Sabudana Vada
What Is Sabudana?
The small, dried, translucent white tapioca balls, also known as sabudana or Indian sago, are often referred to as “tapioca pearls” in English. They are extracted from the roots of the cassava plant and are high in starch and simple sugars. Sabudana, like bread, rice, potatoes, and pasta, is a carbohydrate. Carbohydrates provide energy to the body, so they are essential in any diet. This keeps you full for longer periods of time, and that’s why they are included during fasting. However, you must consume carbohydrates in moderation, especially if you are trying to lose weight. Sabudana, due to its high-carb content, is also high in calories. It is used to make festive and fasting foods and snacks like sabudana tikki, sabudana khichdi, and sabudana kheer (Tapioca Pudding).
Crispy Sabudana Vada
Deep-fried patties made with tapioca pearls, potatoes, roasted peanuts, spices, herbs, and seasonings are known as sabudana patties. The potatoes are first boiled, mashed, or grated. This is a classic Maharashtrian street snack. The potatoes help to hold/ bind the patty mixture together so the vada does not crumble or disintegrate while frying. The peanuts give the patties an interesting crunch, and the herbs and spices make them more flavorful. This sabudana vada recipe is an authentic recipe that I learned from my mom while growing up in Mumbai. The sabudana vada made with my recipe is no fail recipe, and you get crispy, golden vadas with a pillowy soft center.
Ingredients
You only need a few ingredients to create this tasty dish!
Sabudana: This is the star ingredient. It is also referred to as sago or tapioca pearls. It is easily available at Indian grocery stores. Use good quality big pearls. This needs to be soaked before you can use it in the recipe, so it requires some planning. Potato: This recipe calls for boiled and mashed potatoes. They are used to bind the sago. You can use any potatoes – red, yellow, or Yukon. Make sure they are mashed really well. Peanuts: I’ve used crushed raw peanuts. Make sure you remove the skin. If you have a peanut allergy, you can skip them, but these give a characteristic flavor and nuttiness to the dish. Peanuts add the crunch and nutrition to the vadas. Cilantro: Add freshly chopped cilantro leaves for the flavor and aroma. Green Chilli: This adds spice and heat to the vadas. Adjust according to your taste. Salt: Add salt according to taste. But if you are fasting, use rock salt (sendha namak) Oil: You can use any vegetable oil for deep frying. People who consume these vadas during fasting use peanut oil to fry them.
How To Soak Sabudana?
Rinse the sabudana/ sago thoroughly, about 3-4 times, until the water is clear. Basically, you need to get rid of the starch. Next, soak 1 cup sabudana in 1/2 cup of water for at least 6 hours. I soak mine overnight. Cover and store in a cool, dry place. The duration of time spent soaking will vary depending on the type of sabudana. After they are soaked, they double in size and become fluffy. To check if the sabudana has been soaked well, press the soaked sago between your index finger and thumb. It should mash easily, and the center shouldn’t be hard.
How To Make Perfect Sabudana Vada
Read below on how to make the most amazing sabudana vadas in 3 different ways. Rinse sabudana well until the water turns clear, and soak as detailed above. Grate boiled potatoes in a large bowl. Transfer the sabudana to the bowl. Add crushed roasted peanuts, cilantro, green chilies and salt. You may also add ginger or lime juice if you like. Divide the mixture into 13 – 15 equal parts, make round balls and then flatten them a bit.
Method 1: Traditional Deep Frying
Heat oil on medium-high heat in a kadai or wok. Make sure the oil is hot by dropping a single sabudana ball. It should quickly float to the top. Now add 3-5 vadas to the oil depending on the size of the kadhai; don’t overcrowd the kadai.
Fry vadas until golden brown and crisp from both sides. Transfer to a plate covered with a paper towel to drain any excess oil. Serve sabudana vada with chutney, ketchup, or anything that you like.
Method 2: Air fryer Sabudana Vada
Spray some oil in the air fryer basket. Place vada’s in a single layer, leaving space between each. Brush or spray some oil on top of the Vada’s.
Air fry for about 16 -18 minutes at 390°F. Flip the vada’s at about the 10-minute mark. Once vadas are crispy and golden brown, serve them hot with ketchup or green chutney.
Method 3: Sabudana Vada using Appe Pan
On medium low heat, heat the paniyaram / aebleskiver pan. To each round section, add a few drops of oil. Place the small sago balls and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium-low heat. Each ball should be turned over, and add a few more oil drops. Once more, cook them under cover for 3–4 minutes more or until crisp and golden brown. Serve these Sago fritters hot with mint chutney or ketchup.
Pro-Tips
Making these crispy, crunchy vadas requires thoroughly soaking the sabudana (tapioca pearls). It should be soaked until it can be easily mashed between two fingers. Sabudana should be soaked in half the quantity of water. That is, use 1/2 cup of water to soak 1 cup of sabudana. You don’t want too much water in the sabudana. Make sure the oil is medium-hot. If the oil is too hot, they may brown quickly and have a burnt taste. Sabudana or potatoes should be moisture-free as this could cause the vadas to break. If you want to make the sabudana potato mixture ahead of time, then also shape them into vada’s before storing them in the refrigerator. Otherwise, they can be harder to shape as the mixture can have more moisture. Fry the vadas in batches because if you fry too many at once, they may stick to one another – so avoid overcrowding.
Variations
You can add grated ginger to the vada mix. It not only adds flavor but also improves digestion. You can add some lemon juice to the mix to add some tang. Some people also add cumin seeds and black pepper to the vadas. You can use cashews instead of peanuts if you like. If you like sweet potatoes, swap them for potatoes for sweeter-tasting vadas. Sabudana vadas can be baked in the oven at 360°F (180°C) for 30 minutes for a guilt-free version. If you are not fasting, you can also mix in finely chopped onions and chaat masala to make delicious vada.
How to prevent Sabudana Vada from breaking?
It is important to maintain the right frying temperature. Frying them on low flame can cause the vada to disintegrate, and also the vadas absorb a lot of oil. It is best to test the temperature of the oil with a little ball of dough. If the oil is hot, the ball rises gradually to the surface of the oil. If the Sabudnaa vada are still breaking, you can add some corn starch or rice flour for binding and absorption of extra moisture. But if you are preparing these for fasting or religious occasions, you can also consume buckwheat flour (Kuttu ka atta) or amaranth flour (rajgira atta) instead of corn starch and rice flour.
Serving Suggestion
For the ideal breakfast or afternoon snack, serve them with mint cilantro chutney– that’s my favorite combination! You can also serve it with tomato ketchup. For fasting days, you can serve sabudana vadas with farali peanut chutney. This is very easy to make. Simply combine yogurt, ground peanuts, red sugar, red chili powder and salt. Whisk it well, and it’s ready. It also tastes great when eaten with plain yogurt or even sweetened curd. But just like any deep-fried food, sabudana vada is just perfect with a hot cup of masala chai.
Storage Instructions
It is best to serve sabudana vada while it is piping hot and crispy. For the best flavor, you can prepare this vada mixture ahead of time, shape it, and store it in the refrigerator or freezer. However, fry it right before serving to relish the crunch and taste! In the refrigerator, sabudana vada will keep well for 3-5 days. The vada can also be frozen for up to a month. Before serving, defrost and reheat the vada. To reheat, you can use an air fryer at 400°F for 2-3 minutes. You can also reheat in the microwave for 30-60 seconds, but they will not be as crunchy.
Common Questions
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title: “Sabudana Vada” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-12” author: “Ernest East”
Sabudana Vada is loved by all for its taste and it is an addictive snack. Sabudana Vada with chutney is a great combo that is savoured by all however it tastes great when had as such too.
About Sabudana Vada
Sabudana Vada is a popular vrat or fasting dish made commonly during Navarathri, Pradhosha and Shivrathri days. Sabudana Vada is made without onions or garlic as it is commonly made on fasting days. Sabudana Vada is a great tasting vada that is crispy outside and soft inside. Sabudana Vada Recipe is quite time consuming as sago pearls have to be soaked, peanuts has to be roasted & ground, potato has to be cooked separately and mashed after which all of them has to be mixed well and deep fried. However Sabudana Vada is worth the effort for its taste.
Sabudana Vada or Khichdi – Why sago has to be soaked?
Sabudana or sago are starchy pearl extracts of tapioca / cassava root. Since the pearls are extracted after dehydrating the root, they became hard & crunchy. To make them soft & starchy, soaking of sago is necessary before cooking it for any recipe. Soaking sago with water ½ inch above sago and allowing to rest for a minimum of 4 hrs makes the sago soft & bubbly. If water is lesser, sago vada tends to be hard and if water is excess you can drain them else it may separate in oil. Soaking as prescribed is the key for getting Sabudana Vada without breaking when we fry in oil.
Is Sabudana Vada healthy?
Sabudana is rich in carbohydrates making it an instant energy booster – the reason behind eating it during vrat / fasting days. Sabudana reduces blood pressure, improves digestion, promotes bone health, and helps in weight gain. However, daily intake should be moderated as it is high carb & high calorie food.
Ingredients
Sabudana or Sago Pearls: Sago pearls are available in stores commonly in 2 forms – one transparent nylon type variety and another white starchy variety. The white starch variety is most commonly used and preferred for this recipe.Peanuts: Buy peeled & roasted peanuts if it is available, else you may buy the skinned variety, roast them, peel the skin and use. If you are getting peeled roasted variety, dry roast for a minute till they develop brown spots. Peanuts give a crunchy feel and flavour to the vada. You can skip them if you do not have them.Potato & other veggies: Use 2 medium sized cubed potato for this recipe. Ginger, green chilli &coriander leaves are finely chopped, tempered and added to the vada mixture. Green chilli make vada aptly spicier and jeera & lemon extract gives a flavourful & tangy tint to the vada. Oil: I have used groundnut oil as I use it as regular cooking oil But you can use refined sunflower / groundnut / any neutral tasting cooking oil for frying the Vada.
If you have any more questions about this Sadudana Vada Recipe do mail me at [email protected]. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest ,Youtube and Twitter . Tried this Sadudana Vada ? Do let me know how you liked it. Also tag us on Instagram @sharmispassions and hash tag it on #sharmispassions.
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Sabudana Vada Recipe Step by Step
1.Rinse sago well with water and soak sago overnight or for atleast 4 hrs with enough water just to immerse it well.Dont add more water as it will become mushy…just sprinkle little water if you feel its very dry. 2.After the mentioned time if you see the sago must have absorbed the water well. 3.If you press it with your fingers it will be soft, Set aside. Roast peanuts till the skin splutters and brown spots appear here and there. Discard the skin and grind the peanuts to a coarse mixture. 4.Boil potatoes or cut into half and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. Peel the skin. 5.Mash it using a masher or you can just crumble it with your fingers too. Just mash it roughly need not be very smooth.Set aside. 6.Dry roast peanuts until brown spots appear here and there. 7.Remove the skin byu rubbing between your palms and blowing away the skin this way it is easy to remove the skin. 8.I used my hand mortar and pestle as it is a small quantity. You can use mixie to crush too. 9.Crush it coarsely. 10.To a mixing bowl – add sago,peanut powder,mashed potato,jeera,ginger,green chilli,lemonjuice,coriander leaves and required salt. 11.Mix it well until it forms a dough like. 12.Pinch lemon sized ball and firstshape them into a ball using your fist. 13.Then flatten it using your palms. 14.Vada is shaped. 15.Repeat to finish, Make all the vadas ready. 16.Heat oil – add the sago vadas in batches , carefully turn over and cook till golden brown on both sides. 17.Cook in medium flame to avoid burning. Fry until golden brown. 18.Remove and drain. Repeat and fry the remaining vadas too. Crispy Sabudana Vada ready! Serve hot with green chutney or tomato sauce.
Expert Tips
Dont choose the nylon transparent variety sago. The bigger white starchy variety of sago suits well for Sabudana Vada.Take care while adding water to soak sago…this is a very important step….if you add more water then it will become mushy.Do not fry for more time,make sure you remove them when it’s golden brown.Pressure cook potatoes with skin for at least 4-5 whistles or until soft…Peel of the skin and mash it up.If you are soaking in the morning then you can check it now and then, fluff it up in between this gives non sticky sago.You can even add 2 teaspoon of rice flour while mixing.
Serving & Storing Suggestions
Sabudana Vada tastes great when it both hot & cold and keeps good for a day. Refrigeration is not needed and you can microwave if you prefer it hot when using later. Enjoy Sabudana Vada as is or with a chutney! Sabudana Vada is a good choice for lunch box and for travel.
1.What is Sabudana Vada?
Sabudana Vada is a crispy & delicious snack made by frying sago pearls mixed with peanuts, potato, herbs and spices.
2.How do you make Sabudana Vada?
Soak sago for 4-6 hrs and rinse 2-3 times before cooking the recipe. Set aside.Dry roast peanuts till golden brown then grind it coarsely just to break it into pieces, don’t powder it.Pressure cook potatoes until soft for 4 whistles, mash them and make it ready.Mix soaked sago, coarsely crushed peanuts, potatoes, spices & herbs and make them into small vada shapes.Heat the oil and fry the vada till the vada gets golden brown. Enjoy hot vadas!
3.Why my vada is gets separated in oil?
Three common reasons for vada to get separated in oil
Improper or insufficient soaking of sago (Water level & soaking time)Moisture content for sago mix (Vada mix should not be crumbly or watery)Oil temperature should be hot and flame should be in medium while frying.
4.How do I know that oil is hot enough for frying?
Heat the oil before frying the vadas. Take a pearl from the mix and drop in the hot oil, if comes to the top bubbling – the oil is sufficiently hot & ready for frying vada. If it is not hot, the pearl would be in the bottom, take time to fry and makes the vada oilier. Make sure to adjust heat then and there.
5.Can I bake Sabudana Vada?
Yes. Preheat the oven to 180 deg C. Brush the vadas with oil and spread it on a tray with butter paper and bake it at 200 deg C for 30-40 mins till they become golden brown. Baked version is significantly not crispier & tastier as the fried version.
