Sabudana Vada

Sabudana vada is a popular deep fried snack made with tapioca pearls or sago, roasted peanuts, boiled potatoes and few spices & herba .

This vegan gluten free cutlet made of sago or tapioca pearls is popular snack for fasting days like Navratri. You can make these vadas in no time if you have soaked sago pearls ready. With just very few ingredients like potatoes, peanuts and sago this vada tastes so delicious and filling.

Here is how to make best sabudana vada recipe at home that does not break, is crispy and non greasy!

What Is Sabudana?

Sabudana is the Hindi word for sago pearls or tapioca pearls. These are edible starch extracted from tapioca roots and processed into pearls or little balls. It is known as Javvarisi in Tamil, saggibhiayam in Teligu, sabakki in Kannada, These also go by name the names saksak, Rabia in various places.

Sabudana is a super popular ingredient in Indian cooking, especially in north and western India it is a very popular vrat or fasting food.

Sabudana is also very widely used in South Asian cuisine and other tropical regions. Due to its gel like texture it is very widely used for making desserts.

There are many varieties of sabudana available in the market. We will use a specific variety depending upon the recipe it is used for.

Apart from this delicious and easy sabudana vada recipe, tapioca pearls are used in making sabudana khichdi, thalipeeth, sabudana kheer etc.

In south India it is used in making idli, payasam, vadam etc. Mango sago is a very popular tropical dessert made in south Asian countries.

About Sabudana Vada Recipe

Sabudana vada along with sabudana khichdi is a very popular fasting food in Maharastra. During the period of navratri many people observe nine days fasting eliminating many ingredients from their diet. That includes ingredients like rice, mustard and even common salt.

They do have a list of allowed ingredients and dish out many tasty and healthy delicacies with them. This sabudana vada is one such snack that is vegan, gluten free and made without onion garlic. For such a simple recipe with very few ingredients these are addictive to say the least.

Sabudana vada is a very tasty snack that is super crispy outside with a melt in mouth and flavorful interior. Sago pearls along with potatoes makes for a soft, cheesy and melt in mouth vada that are absolutely crispy from outside.

Making sabudana vada is easy provided we take care of few points. First of all if you are beginner do not try to change the quantity of any given ingredient. Also make sure to read all the tips and notes to understand the recipe. Once you get the knack of it, you can try and play around with the recipe.

I am sharing the authentic and best crispy sabudana vada recipe here. It is suitable for fasting as I have added kala or sendha namak in this recipe. If you are not making this vada for fasting, you can make so many variations with this recipe. Do read the variations I have listed below.

These sabudana vadas are deep fried snack which has a happy mix of boiled mashed potatoes, soaked sabudana or tapioca pearls, roasted peanuts, cumin seeds, coriander leaves, lemon juice etc.

While you can eat these as such piping hot off the stove, sabudana vada also tastes very good with green chutney, spiced yogurt, tamarind chutney.

Apart from making as fasting snack this sabudana vada tastes amazing with hot ginger tea or masala tea or mint tea just like onion pakora, veg cutlet, veg rolls, samosa, nankhatai, crispy corn, batata vada etc.

You might also like to check masala vada, medu vada, corn vada, instant rava vada recipes.

You can serve sabudana vada with sweet curd as in Maharashtra. Just add some sugar to thick curd or hung curd as you do for shrikand and serve with hot vada.

Do try my fail proof recipe of sabudana vada to make crispy, light and delicious vadas that do not soak up oil.

This Sabudana Vada Recipe Is

Traditional & authentic suitable for fasting

Vegan & gluten Free, no onion garlic

Delicious, crispy with melt in mouth interior

Tastes best for evening snack with tea

Quick and simple recipe with minimum seasoning

Kid friendly healthy and filling snack.

Tips For Making Best Sabudana Vada

Selecting Sabudana-

It is important to know the type of sago pearls you are using. One variety of sago needs just 2 hours soaking while the other one requires 5-6 hours. I usually use the smaller ones yet soak them for 6 hours. If you do not soak the sago pearls properly the sabudana vada will soak up lot of oil while frying.

Soaked sabudana

Soak sabudana in equal parts of water for 4-6 hours or overnight if you prefer. That is use one cup water for 1 cup sago pearls. Do not drown the sago pearls in water as you do for soaking rice etc. Once soaked drain and try pressing few pearls between your fingers. They should give in easily and turn mushy.

Potatoes

Potatoes are the binding agent for this sabudana vada. Here we do not use any flour like corn flour form binding as we do in cutlets. One point to remember is,do not mash the potatoes until very smooth. Just crumble them very nicely.

Flour

Flour is not an ingredient in traditional sabudana vada recipe. Some variations do add a bit of flour as binding agent. Adding flour makes the vada crispier. For fasting you can use kuttu ki atta or rajgira flour. You can also add rice or corn flour during regular days. I have not added any flour in this recipe.

I prefer to use buckwheat flour or rice flour for these when I need to use flour.

Roasted and powdered peanuts-

Roasted and coarsely powdered peanuts yield a wonderful, flavor and texture apart from absorbing the excess moisture from the vada mixture. I like to add a bit more of peanuts for flavor.

Minimize the moisture–

Ensure there is no much moisture in the vada mixture.After you have drained the soaked sago pearls, let them stand for 15 minutes to let all the moisture evaporate. Also make sure your potatoes are dry before crumbling. If there is excess moisture the vada will break in oil.

Sabudana Vada FAQ

How to make sabudana vada without potatoes?

To make these vada without potato or jain sabudana vada, you can just replace potatoes with cooked and mashed plantain or raw bananas. You can add rice flour as binding agent. You can also use amaranth flour or any other grain flour as binding agent and leave out potato.

You can also use sweet potatoes instead in the same recipe.

Why does the sabudana vada break in oil while frying?

These vadas will break in oil if the mixture loose. The quantity of potatoes should be perfect to get a proper mixture that will fry crispy and hold its shape in hot oil.

If your vada break while frying, try to add 1-2 more tablespoons of roasted peanut powder (reserve some handy) or kuttu ki atta (while fasting) or corn flour to the vada mixture and mix well.

Why do sabudana vada burst while frying?

If the sago vada mixture has unsoaked or not properly mashed sabudana pearls they will burst in oil. Sometimes the moisture in the vada mixture will also cause oil bursts. To avoid this make sure to drain soaked sabudana completely before adding other ingredients.

In what temperature Should I fry Sago Vada?

You need to fry these vada in medium heat or medium high. If the oil is not hot enough the vadas will absorb lot of oil. If it is too hot, the fried vada brown very fast and inside remains uncooked.

Also while frying do not over crowd the pan. Once added to hot oil, do not disturb them for a minute. This will let the vada hold its shape.

How to make instant sabudana vada?

1. You can use the small variety of sago pearls that need just an hour of soaking
2. Another way is to dry roast sago for 3-4 minutes, powder them and add to other ingredients. Make the dough, shape vada and fry them.

How to make no deep fry sabudana vada?

To make no deep fry sago fritters you can

1. bake sabudana vada at 180 C or 350 F in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Just arrange the shaped vadas in a single layer o a greased baking sheet and bake. Baked sabudana vada should be consumed with in few hours else they will turn soggy.
2. You can air fry sabudana vada too if you have an air fryer. You can also use the air fryer attachment of your instant pot to make sabudana vada recipe.
3. Use an ebelskiver pan or appe pan to fry them. Just grease each mould with few drops of oil, place the shaped vada and cook in low flame
4. Toast the shaped vadas on hot griddle or tava with few drops of oil.

How To Make Sabudana Vada

Preparation – Soaking Sabudana & Boiling Potatoes.

Pick and rinse 3/4 cup sago pearls well. Add 1 cup water and soak the sabudana for 4-6 hours. Drain sabudana thoroughly of excess water if any and set aside for 15 minutes.

In the mean time pressure cook 2 large potatoes well. Peel and crumble them well. You can also boil potatoes in instant pot or in a pot of water or steam them too,

Also dry roast 1/4 cup peanuts and crush them coarsely. Heat oil for deep frying while you roast peanuts.

Making Sabudana Vada Mixture

Add drained sago pearls, coarsely crushed peanuts, chopped green chilies, coriander leaves, rock salt or black salt, crumbled potatoes to a mixing bowl. Also add lemon juice.

Mix very well and form a dough like mixture. Try shaping a ball. If the mixture is very loose, add 2  tablespoons more peanut powder. You can also use 2 tablespoons kuttu ka atta or little rice flour or corn starch to make very crispy sabudana vadas.

At this point you can refrigertae

Shaping & Frying Vadas

Now divide the mixture into 18-20 equal sized balls. Flatten each ball slightly.

Slide 3-4 shaped vada into hot oil. Do not disturb the sago patties for few seconds.

Now flip gently and fry till the vadas turn golden brown and crispy from all sides.

Drain in a kitchen towel and serve sabudana vada hot.

More Sabudana Recipes

Sabudana kheer

Sago idli

Sabudana chivda

Javvarisi vadam

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Sabudana Vada Recipe