Crisp Sabudana vada or sabudana cutlet is a popular snack recipe in canteens and office mess these days in India. Sago pearls or sabudana is made from tapioca root or cassava. It has been around since World war II. It is both gluten-free and vegan. There are many small sago recipes like sabudana kheer ,sabudana usal and the famous Maharashtrian sabudana khichdi. You can also make sabudana wada without peanuts.
Many canteens in Mumbai and Pune sell this at tea time or breakfast. It is a popular Maharashtrian snack and very tasty too. You can serve sabudana vada with sweet yogurt peanut chutney, mint cilantro chutney or coconut chutney.
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What is Navratre and Sawan fasting?
During the periods of religious fasting like Navratre where Hindus fast for 7-9 days. They consume mostly one meal. We do not eat traditional grains like wheat and rice. Most families do this twice an year. Usually, at the onset of summer and winter. These practices were done since ages at the change of weather. This helps healing.
Fasting is cleansing of both body and mind. People spend time in meditation and prayers. This heals the soul. Also, eating gluten-free and vegetarian cuisine helps the gut. During Sawan or rainy season, most people pray to Lord Shiva and fast every Monday. This also keeps you healthy as you do tend to eat lots of fried food like pakoras in rains. We also fast during Maha Shivratri in Feb-March each year and pray to Lord Shiva for well being and prosperity.
One common problem with sago is we are unsure when it is ready?
Sabudana benefits
- Aids in muscle growth.
- Has calcium so strengthens bones.
- Lowers blood pressure and improves heart health.
- Improves digestion and gut health.
- Good in folates so fights birth defects.
- Great for breastfeeding and increases milk production.
Equipment
- kadai/frying pan (traditional method) or air fryer for low oil version.
- mixing bowl
- sieve
How to make air fryer sabudana vada? (Recipe video)
Ingredients
- sabudana - soaked for 4 hours(results in 1 cups sabudana)
- boiled mashed potatoes or sweet potato (keep cooked sweet potato in fridge for a day before using the vada)
- ginger paste / grated ginger
- coriander/mint leaves (Note: Do not use coriander leaves for vrat recipe)
- green chilies - adjust as per taste
- Rock salt as needed
- Oil for deep frying /1 tbsp. oil for air fryer (healthier option)
refer to recipe card for details.
How to make Sweet potato sabudana vada in airfryer?
- If you want to use sweet potatoes, then boil the sweet potato, allow it to cool and then move the cooked sweet potato to the fridge. Use this the next day to make the vada.
- Mix the sabudana with sweet potato and other spices.Take an equal portion and make vada with the mix.
- Allow them to set in the freezer or the fridge (the cooking time varies when we use frozen vada, it takes atleast 5 more minutes for frozen vada).
- Preheat the airfryer at 180C|355F, brush the vada with oil and cook them for 20-22 minutes in the airfryer. (Please note, if you are using frozen vada then it will take atleast 5 minutes more to cook.) . Flip over and brush with oil for 2-3 times during the cook.
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How to make crispy sabudana vada recipe? (traditional frying method)
- Wash sago and soak them in enough water for 4 hours to overnight. After soaking, they will swell up and will become double the size. Mix together mashed potatoes, sago and all dry ingredients. If you are making them for vrat. Kindly use mint leaves and sendha namak/ rocksalt.
2. Make 10 to 12 balls and then flatten them to make patties or vada. You can also freeze them by placing them on a tray lined with parchment paper and covering it with a cling film.
3. Deep fry sabudana vada over medium heat in a wok/kadai. Note: Make sure oil is hot by putting a pinch of mixture in it. If it is hot, it will bubble up immediately.
4. Take it out when brown from all sides. Keep it aside on paper towel so that it soaks excess oil. Serve crispy sabudana vada hot with spicy green chutney or sweet yogurt.
How to make Sabudana vada in air fryer with potato ?
Just follow the above steps to make the sago fritters in the form of a cutlet and place in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
Cook in a preheated air fryer at 180C for 20-22 minutes .Brush oil once in between
serve warm with a chutney
air fryer sabudana vada | Sabudana vada recipe
Equipment
- kadai/frying pan (traditional method)
- or air fryer for low oil version
- Mixing bowl
- Sieve
- skimmer spoon / chhana for frying
Ingredients
- ½ cup sabudana soaked for 4 hours(results in 1 ½ cup sabudana)
- 2 medium potatoes mashed and peeled (refer notes) You can use sweet potatoes . for 1 ½ cup sabudana, use ½ cup boiled sweet potato
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 tbsp. coriander/mint leaves Do not use coriander during fasting/vrat
- 1-2 chopped green chilies adjust as per taste
- salt as per taste
- 2 tbsp. oil for air fryer
- Oil for deep frying if you are deep frying
Instructions
- Wash sabudana and soak them in enough water for 4 hours to overnight. After soaking, they will swell up and will become double the size.
- Mix together mashed potatoes, sabudana and all dry ingredients.
- Make 6 to 8 balls and then flatten them to make patties or vada.
Frying (Traditional method)
- Deep fry in medium hot oil in a kadai, until golden brown evenly on all sides.
For air fryer version (with potato or sweet potato)
- Freeze the raw vada for few hours or more in the freezer for best results,else allow them to set for some time in the fridge.
- Preheat the airfryer at 180 deg C|355F for 5 minutes.
- Air fry them(straight from the fridge or freezer) for 20-22 mins at 180 deg C, brushing oil for 2-3 times during the cook. Also flip them over once.
- Please note, if you are using frozen vada then it will take atleast 5 minutes more to cook.
- Serve them warm
Video
Notes
Add enough water upto 1 ½ inches above the sabudana.
If the mixture becomes too sticky and soft, add kuttu or rajgiri ka aata.
Oil should be hot enough for frying the vadas.
FAQs
If there is moisture in vadas or oil temperature is not right, it will burst while frying.
Run the sabudana under water 3-4 times,in a sieve until you get clear water. This way you can remove starch.Then soak it with just enough water for 30-40 mins.
Kuttu ka atta or buckwheat flour. Other flours you can use are rajgira ka atta(amaranth flour), singhare ka atta (water chestnut flour).These days people also eat quinoa.
Place sabudana or tapioca pearls in bowl and cover it with enough water. Keep it aside for 3-4 hours until it fluffs up. Drain the excess water by keeping the soaked sabudana in a sieve. If you add less water, it will result in under-soaked sabudana which is still tough to mash. In that case just add more water to the bowl and check after 30 minutes.
Storage
Store them in an air-tight container and serve it again by shallow frying it in little oil or air frying them for 3-5 minutes in a preheated air fryer.
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