Sabudana vada recipe made with sabudana (tapioca pearls), potatoes, peanut, and herbs. Sabudana vada is a traditional Maharashtrian dish made mostly during fasting. You can also have these crispy sago vada for breakfast or tea-time snacks. Gluten-free and Vegan recipe.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Total Time35 minutesmins
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Indian, Maharashtrian
Servings: 4people
Calories: 80kcal
Author: Preeti
Equipment
Heavy bottom pan
Ingredients
1cupsabudanasago/tapioca pearls
1cupgrated boiled potato
¼cuppeanutscoarse powder
2green chiliesfinely chopped
1-inchgingerfinely chopped
1teaspooncumin(jeera)
¼cupchopped coriander leaves
½teaspoonred chili powder (optional)(lal mirch powder)
Salt to taste(or use sendha namak, if fasting)
Instructions
Soaking the sabudana
Rinse the sabudana 2-3 times with water. This will remove excess starch from it.
Soak it in water for 4 hours or overnight. The level of water should be just half-inch above it.
Once the sabudana is soaked, keep it aside.
Cooking the potatoes
Next, cook 3 medium-size potatoes in a pressure cooker for 4 whistles.
Once cooled, remove the skin. Grate it & keep it aside.
Roasting the peanuts
Heat a heavy bottom pan over medium heat. Dry roast the peanuts. Let it cool down completely. Remove the husk (outer skin of the peanuts).
With the help of mortar & pestle crush it to make a coarse powder. You can grind it too but make sure not to make a fine powder.
Making the sabudana vada
In a mixing bowl, combine soaked sabudana, grated potato, peanuts, green chilies, ginger, cumin, chopped coriander leaves, red chili powder, & salt.
Slightly mash the ingredients while mixing them. The mixture is ready.
Shaping the vada
Take out a small portion of the prepared mixture.
Make a round ball & slightly flatten it. The same way shape all the vadas.
You can also shape the vadas as a donut. Take out a small portion of the prepared mixture.
Roll it & flatten it. Make a small hole in the middle. Sabudana donut is ready to fry.
Frying the vada
Heat ¼ cup of oil in a pan over medium heat.
Once the oil is hot enough, place the vada to shallow fry. Do not overcrowd the pan.
Fry it until it is golden and crisp on one side.
Flip it & fry on the other side too. Remove it on a plate.
Maharashtrian Sabudana vada is ready. Serve hot with coconut chutney.
Video
Notes
Depending on the quality of sabudana the soaking time differs. Some require being soaked only for 2 hours & some 7 hours.
I always soak the sabudana overnight. In the morning, sabudana will absorb all the water & will become soft & non-sticky.
In the morning, press the soaked sabudana pearls between our thumb and finger. If it is soft (gets mashed easily) then it is ready. If it is hard then it requires being soaked for a few more hours.
While adding water to soak the sabudana, make sure the level of water is just ¼ inch above the sabudana (refer to step by step photos). If the level of water is more you will end up having soggy sabudana. Also, it will make the vada soggy.
If you soaked the sabudana overnight & find the sabudana pearls are hard then sprinkle some water & let it soak for a few more hours.
To make crispy vada, the vada mixture should be dry.
Do notover-boil the potatoes. If potatoes are overcooked then they will add moisture to the sabudana mixture, making it soggy.
Make sure the oil is hot before you start to fry the sago vada. You can deep fry the vada too. In this recipe, I have shallow fried them.
Fry the vada a few at a time. Do not overcrowd the pan, as it will bring down the temperature of the oil.