Sabudana Vada (Fried, Baked & Air Fryer Version)

Sabudana vada is a popular, crunchy, and crispy deep-fried Maharashtrian snack made with tapioca pearls, peanuts, potatoes, and coriander.

Recipe Source Link:https://www.mygingergarlickitchen.com/sabudana-vada/

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RECIPE INGREDIENTS

» For Sabudana Vada

• 1 cup sabudana (sago or tapioca pearls)
• 3-4 medium-sized potatoes
• 1/2 cup raw peanuts
• 3-4 medium-sized green chilies, chopped (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1-2 teaspoons sugar (optional)
• Rock salt (sendha namak), to taste
• 2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice (or 1/4 teaspoon powdered citric acid)
• Oil as required, for deep frying

RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS

» How to Make Sabudana Vada:

1. Soaking Sabudana: Add 1 cup sabudana to a bowl, and rinse it 2-3 times. Now, add 3-4 cups of water to the bowl and keep it aside for 1-2 hours.
2. After 2 hours, strain the water using a colander or mesh strainer. Add sabudana again to the bowl and drizzle it with 2-3 tablespoons of water. Cover the bowl and soak the sabudana or sago for about 5-7 hours or overnight. I kept mine overnight in the refrigerator. After Soaking, check the soaked sabudana by pressing between thumb and forefinger. If they mash easily that means they are done. If you find the hard center, then add 1-2 tablespoons of water and soak for 1-2 hours.
3. Boiling Potatoes: Add enough water to a pot, and then put whole potatoes in it. Boil them covered over medium heat until they are soft and cooked through. To check doneness, prick the boiled potatoes with a fork or insert a knife. If it slides gently, then they are done. Let them cool completely, and then peel the potatoes.
4. Now, grate peeled potatoes using a grater and keep them aside. You can also mash them using a potato masher.
5. Roasting Peanuts: Add 1/2 cups to a wide pan, and dry roast peanuts over medium heat until they are golden, crunchy, and aromatic. Keep stirring continuously to prevent them from burning. Once crispy, turn off the heat and transfer peanuts to a plate and keep it aside to cool.
6. Making Peanuts Powder: Once cooled, remove the peanut skin by rubbing them between your palms. The skin would come off easily. Discard the husk and transfer them to a blender. Pulse a couple of times to make a coarse powder. You can also crush them in a mortar and pestle. Roasted peanut powder is ready, set it aside.
7. Making Sabudana Vada Mixture: To a large mixing bowl, add soaked sabudana, roasted peanut powder, grated boiled potatoes, cumin seeds, chopped green chilies, ground black pepper, rock salt, sugar, and coriander leaves. Mix well to combine.
8. Also, add lemon juice and knead well until it forms a dough-like ball. This mixture should be stiff so you can form the vada easily. If it doesn't come together or is sticky, then add more boiled potatoes.
9. Shaping Sabudana Vada: With damp hands pinch out the lemon-sized mixture, and shape it into a smooth ball. Then flatten it between the palms to shape into a patty, keeping the edge thin. Keep shaping until all the dough is used up. Keep shaped vadas aside.

» How to Fry Sabudana Vada:

1. Heat enough oil in a wide pan for deep frying or shallow frying. Once hot, drop a small ball of vada mixture into the oil, and if it comes on top of steadily and sizzles then the oil is ready for frying. Turn the heat to medium and slide 4-5 vadas gently in the hot oil. Fry vadas on medium heat. Let them fry for a minute, when they turn slightly golden from one side, flip them and fry from another side. Flip a couple of times until sabudana vadas turn golden crispy and crunchy from all the sides. Once fried, remove them from the pan and transfer them on a kitchen tissue-lined plate. Repeat the frying for the rest of the vadas.
2. Serving Sabudana Vada: Serve hot sabudana vada with fried green chilies, green chutney, yogurt, or tomato ketchup.

» How to Air Fry Sabudana Vada:

1. Place Vadas in the air fryer basket, and brush or drizzle both sides with some oil. Air fry for 13 minutes at 175°C/347°F. Once done, take out the air fryer basket and flip the vadas.
2. Air fry 5 minutes at 180°C/356°F. Air fryer Sabudana Vadas are ready. Serve them hot.

» How to Bake Sabudana Vada:

1. To bake sabudana vada, line a baking tray with parchment paper. Then place 4-5 vadas in the tray and brush or drizzle both sides with oil. Bake in 190°C/374°F preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes or until they turn golden and crisp.
2. Remove them from the oven. Healthy Baked Sabudana Vadas are ready. Serve them hot.

RECIPE NOTES

1. Do not overcrowd the pan, fry only 5-6 vadas at a time.
2. To make a sabudana vada recipe without potatoes, you can swap boiled potatoes with sweet potatoes or boiled raw bananas. They both work as binding agents.
3. You can dry roast peanuts in a pan, oven, microwave, or in an air-fryer. When roasting peanuts in a pan, you can also add about 1 teaspoon of oil, this will make rich-tasting roasted peanuts.
4. I did not use any flour for binding vadas. Potato works well as a binder in this recipe. For some reason, if your vadas are not hot holding shape or breaking while frying, then you can use some flour suitable for fasting.
5. For heat I have used the combination of green chilies and black pepper. Instead of black pepper you can also add red chili powder.