Recipe for Sabudana Vada

Sabudana, also known as Sago or tapioca pearls, is made from the roots of the cassava/tapioca plant. In India, many recipes are made from Sabudana, including Sabudana Kheer ( a dessert made with sago and milk), Sabudana Vada ( fritters made with sago and potatoes) and Sabudana Khichdi ( a popular breakfast recipe).

Since Sago comes from the root of a plant( and hence is not a grain or cereal), it is commonly eaten during fasting days. It is high in carbohydrates and keeps you energetic and full for a long time.

Today, the recipe I am sharing is Sabudana Vada. Sabudana Vadas are fritters made with Sago and potatoes as the main ingredients. Additionally, some spices are added. These Vadas are usually served with mint chutney (made with mint and coriander) or a Koshimbir ( a yoghurt-based dip) and are quite popular in the Indian state of Maharashtra. They are commonly eaten at home as a tea-time snack ( read my tips below if you plan to make it for your guests) and are also available as street-side food.

So, let’s start with this quick and easy Sabudana Vada recipe. I shall also share the recipe for Mint Chutney and Koshimbir that go well with these Vadas. Therefore, I am breaking the recipe into three parts:

1. Part 1: Recipe for Sabudana Vada
2. Part 2: Recipe for Mint Chutney
3. Part 3: Recipe for Koshimbir

PART 1: Recipe for Sabudana Vada

Ingredients needed for making Sabudana Vadas ( about 40):

1. Sago: 3 cups
2. Potatoes: 7-8 medium-sized, boiled and peeled.
3. Salt: 1.5 tablespoons
4. Sugar: 1 teaspoon
5. Cumin Powder: 1 tablespoon
6. Curry leaves: 18-20
7. Fresh Coriander leaves: Chopped, 4-5 tablespoons
8. Roasted Peanut powder: 1 cup
9. Roasted Sesame Powder: 1/2 cup
10. Green Chillies: 4-5, finely chopped
11. Oil: For deep frying

Method for making Sabudana Vada:

1. Soak Sabudana overnight with just enough water such that all the pearls are immersed in water. Excess water will make it sticky, and less water will make it dry and hard.
   
   Here are the pictures of dry Sago, Soaked Sago and Sago after being soaked overnight.
   
   
   
2. The next morning, combine the soaked sago with mashed boiled potatoes, salt, sugar, cumin powder, curry leaves, roasted peanut powder, roasted sesame powder and green chillies. Mix well.
   
   
   
3. Now take small positions of this mixture and shape them by rounding and flattening each vada.
   
   
   
4. Heat oil in a frying pan. On medium heat, fry the vadas.
   
   
   
5. Turn them only after a couple of minutes OR when you see that the bottom side of the vada has browned a bit.
   
   
   
6. Fry the vadas till they are golden brown and take them out on tissue paper so that the excess oil is soaked.
   
   
   
7. Serve with Mint Chutney or Koshimbir.
   
   
   
   

Part 2: Recipe for Mint Chutney

Ingredients need for Mint Chutney:

1. Fresh mint leaves: About 20 stems
2. Fresh Coriander leaves: About 20 stems
3. Salt: 1/2 teaspoon
4. Sugar: 1 tablespoon
5. Lemon Juice: From 1 lemon
6. Black Salt: 1/2 teaspoon
7. Water: 1/2 cup; Add more if it is too thick

Method for making Mint Chutney:

1. Combine all the ingredients and Grind everything together.
2. Add water to loosen it a bit.
3. Transfer to a clean and dry jar and keep in the fridge till further use.

PART 3: Recipe for Koshimbir

Ingredients needed for making Koshimbir:

1. Yoghurt:500 gm
2. Cucumber: 1, grated
3. Salt: 1 teaspoon
4. Sugar: 1 teaspoon
5. Fresh coriander leaves( optional): 2 tablespoons

Method for making Koshimbir:

1. Beat the yoghurt and all the rest of the ingredients to it.
2. Mix well.

Some additional notes:

1. Sago can be sourced from any Indian store.
2. Sabudana pearls usually come in 3 sizes- very fine, medium and big. Medium-sized pearls work best for this recipe.
3. The soaking of sago is a very important step in this recipe. The amount of water has to be just right. If you put excess water, it will absorb a lot of oil during cooking and also become sticky. If you add less water, the pearls won’t become soft after cooking. They will come dry, chewy and hard.
4. Peanut powder and sesame powder can be easily made at home by dry roasting the seeds on low to medium heat and then course grinding them when cooled. If you find this tedious, you can buy pre-roasted peanuts and sesame seeds and grind them coarsely at home.
   
   
   
5. Sabudana vada is a great tea-time snack, especially when you have guests and want to make something that is easy and doesn’t engage you much in the kitchen when the guests arrive. Do till step 3 of the Sabudana Vada recipe and keep the shaped vadas in the fridge ( uncovered). When the guests arrive, all you need to do is fry the vadas.

Check out other recipes from my kitchen here.

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