Sabudana Vada's are crispy and crunchy sago fritters made with soaked sabudana (sago), boiled potatoes, coarsely ground peanuts, and few other ingredients and is a popular snack recipe for fasting days. Serve them hot with green chutney or tomato ketchup. Enjoy these Sabudana Vada recipe low oil, Air fryer, Appe Pan Version, this fasting season.
Sabudana vada is considered to be the most favored recipe who go on fasting (vrat) on auspicious days like Navratri or Maha Shivaratri.
During the monsoon rains in India, Mom made these delicious vadas at home and served them with hot chai. So I have learned to make this recipe from her along with some tips shared below. These are also known as sabbaki vada in Kannada.
If I am making these Sago Fritters recipe on regular days I usually add finely chopped onions, curry leaves, and chat masala to the vada mixture to enhance the taste and flavor.
If you want to make a guilt-free low-oil snack then you can make sabudana vada in appe pan, air fryer, or bake.
Today I am sharing how to make sabudana vada using traditional deep fry, air fryer, and appe pan method below.
Other popular recipes prepared from Tapioca Pearls are Sabudana Kheer, Sabudana Khichdi.
How to make Best Sabudana Vada
Step 1: Preparation
Firstly, Rinse the sabudana 1-2 times and drain all the water. Soak the sabudana in 2 cups of water for 2-4 hours (time may vary based on the quality of sabudana. I soaked mine for 2 hrs). Some need only 2 hours while other need 4-6 hours.
They will double in size after soaking and you can easily mash them between your fingers. Also, make sure they are soaked well else unsoaked sabudana may burst in oil.
Dry roast peanuts in a pan on medium heat till they get brown spots and let them cool. Grind into a coarse powder.
If using a stovetop pressure cooker, then pressure cook the potatoes in water for 2 to 3 whistles. I used an Instant Pot Pressure cooker to boil the potatoes. Pressure cook for 4-5 minutes on Manual / Pressure cook mode and allow natural pressure release.
After the pressure has released naturally, drain water, peel the potato skin, mash it well and keep aside.
Step 2: Making the dough & shaping the vadas
In a mixing bowl, take soaked sabudana, mashed potatoes, peanut powder, chilies, ginger, cumin seeds, corn starch, lemon juice, coriander leaves, and salt.
Mix everything well. Also, make sure dough should be stiff and not soft or sticky. If it is soft then you can add 1-2 tablespoons of cornflour on regular days or kuttu ka atta if fasting.
Divide the dough into equal size of balls (around 8-10). Grease your palms with little oil and make flat vadas like a patty. Keep aside.
Step 3: Cook the Sabudana Vada, using one of 3 Ways
Method 1: Traditional Deep Frying
Heat the oil in a pan on medium-high heat for deep frying. Add the vadas into the oil very carefully.
Fry them on medium heat from both sides till they turn golden brown. Drain on a paper towel.
Serve steaming hot Sago Fritters with green coriander chutney or tomato ketchup.
Method 2: Air fryer Sabudana Vada using Instant Vortex Airfryer
I have used Instant Vortex Air Fryer for this method. However, you can use any air fryer which is available.
Place a sheet of parchment or lightly oiled aluminium foil in the basket/tray. Now place the vadas into a single layer. Brush some oil on top of vadas.
Using the display panel, select AIR FRY, then adjust the temperature to 395°F (200°C) and set the time to 18 minutes, then touch START. So preheating starts for 3 minutes.
When the display indicates “Add Food” insert the cooking tray in the center position.
When the display indicates “Turn Food” carefully flip the vadas.
Once vadas are crispy and golden brown, take them on to the plate and serve air fryer sabudana vada hot with ketchup or green chutney.
Method 3: Sabudana Vada using Appe Pan
Heat the appe / paniyaram / aebleskiver pan on medium low heat. Add a few drops of oil in each round section.
Next, place the lemon-sized balls in each section and cook for 2-3 mins over medium-low flame.
Turn over each ball, drizzle few more drops of oil.
Cover and cook again for another 3-4 minutes until they turn crisp and golden brown
Serve these Appe pan sabudana vada's or Sago Fritters hot with green chutney or ketchup.
Tips & Variations to make Sabudana Vada
- Soak Sabudana well - Make sure soaked sabudana can be mashed easily when pressed between the thumb, if not soaked well can burst in oil. Vadas can also be hard and chewy.
- Know your sabudana. Soaking time mainly depends on the quality of the sabudana (tapioca pearls), it can vary from 2-4 hours to overnight soaking.
- If the vada mixture becomes soft or breaks in the oil, You can add 1-2 tablespoons of corn starch or rice flour on regular days. During fasting add vrat atta like kuttu (buckwheat flour) or rajgira (amaranth flour).
- You can make baked sabudana vadas by preheating the oven and bake at 360°F (180°C) for 30 minutes.
- On regular days you can also add finely chopped onions, chat masala while mixing vada, they taste great.
- You can also prepare these vada's before and refrigerate until ready to use. Or you can freeze them, defrost. Fry them before serving.
- Total cook time will vary based on the air fryer brand you use and how crispy you want.
- They taste best only when eaten hot.
If you like this recipe, then Checkout more healthy snack recipes below
Sabudana Vada Recipe (Deep Fry, Air Fryer and Appe Pan)
Ingredients
Measuring cup used 1 cup = 250ml
- ½ cup sabudana (Sago or Tapioca pearls)
- 2 medium potatoes boiled & mashed (about 1 cup)
- ¼ cup roasted & coarsely crushed peanuts
- 2 green chillies finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
- 1-2 tablespoons corn starch or rice flour or kuttu ka atta if fasting (optional)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves finely chopped
- salt to taste
- oil for frying
Instructions
Preparation:
- Rinse the sabudana 1-2 times and drain all the water. Soak the sabudana in 2 cups of water for 2-4 hours (time may vary based on the quality of sabudana. I soaked mine for 2 hrs). Some need only 2 hours while other need 4-6 hours.
- They will double in size after soaking and you can easily mash them between your fingers. Make sure they are soaked well else unsoaked sabudana may burst in oil.
- Dry roast peanuts in a pan on medium heat. Let them cool and grind into a coarse powder.
- If using Stove top pressure cooker ,then pressure cook the potatoes in water for 2 to 3 whistles. I used Instant Pot Pressure cooker to boil the potatoes.Pressure cook for 4-5 minutes on Manual/Pressure cook mode (High Pressure) and allow natural pressure release. After the pressure has released naturally, drain water, peel the potato skin, mash it well and keep aside
- In a mixing bowl, take soaked sabudana, mashed potatoes, peanut powder, chillies, ginger, cumin seeds, corn starch, lemon juice, coriander leaves and salt in a bowl.
- Mix everything well. Dough should be stiff and not soft or sticky. If it is soft then you can add a 1-2 tablespoons of corn flour on regular days or kuttu ka atta if fasting.
- Divide the dough into equal size of balls.(Around 8-10). Grease your palms with little oil. And make flat vadas like patty and keep aside.
Traditional Deep Frying:
- Now heat the oil in a pan on medium-high heat for deep frying. Add the vadas into the oil very carefully. Fry them on medium heat from the both sides till they turn golden brown. Drain on a paper towel.
- Serve steaming hot vadas with green coriander chutney or tomato ketchup.
Using Airfryer:
- I have used Instant Vortex AirFryer for this method. You can use any airfryer which is available.
- Place a sheet of parchment or lightly oiled aluminium foil in the basket/tray. Now place the vadas into a single layer. Brush some oil on top of vadas.
- Using the display panel, select AIRFRY, then adjust the temperature to 395°F (200°C) and set the time to 18 minutes, then touch START. So preheating starts for 3 minutes. When the display indicates “Add Food” insert the cooking tray in the center position.
- When the display indicates “Turn Food” carefully flip the vadas.
- Once vadas are crispy and golden brown, take them on to the plate and serve hot with ketchup or green chutney.
Using Appe Pan:
- Heat the appe/paniyaram/aebleskiver pan on medium low heat. Add a few drops of oil in each round section. Place the lemon sized balls in each section and cook for 2-3 mins over medium-low flame.
- Turn over each ball, drizzle few more drops of oil, if needed. Cover and cook again for another 3-4 minutes until they turn crisp and golden brown
- Serve these vadas hot with green chutney or ketchup.
Notes
Tips & Variations
- Soak Sabudana well - Make sure soaked sabudana can be mashed easily when pressed between the thumb, if not soaked well can burst in oil. Vadas can also be hard and chewy.
- Know your sabudana. Soaking time mainly depends on the quality of the sabudana (tapioca pearls), it can vary from 2-4 hours to overnight soaking.
- If the vada mixture becomes soft or breaks in the oil, You can add 1-2 tablespoons of corn starch or rice flour on regular days. During fasting add vrat atta like kuttu(buckwheat flour) or rajgira (amaranth flour).
- On regular days you can also add finely chopped onions, chat masala while mixing vada, they taste great.
- You can also prepare these vada's before and refrigerate until ready to use. Or you can freeze them, defrost. Fry them before serving.
- Total cook time will vary based on the air fryer brand you use and how crispy you want.
- They taste best only when eaten hot.
Sonuja says
awsome recipe ,turned out nice in airfryer
bhavana says
Thank you Sonuja
Anonymous says
yummy
bhavana says
Thank you 🙂