Sabudana Vada's are crispy and crunchy sago fritters made with soaked sabudana (sago), boiled potatoes, coarsely ground peanuts, and a few other ingredients and are a popular snack recipe for fasting days. Serve them hot with green chutney or tomato ketchup. I have shared the Sabudana Vada deep-fry, air fryer, and appe pan versions.
Sabudana vada is considered the most favored recipe for fasting (vrat) on auspicious days like Navratri, Maha Shivaratri, Ekadashi, Ganesh Chaturthi, or Sankashti.
Mom made these delicious vadas at home during the monsoon rains in India and served them with hot chai. So I have learned to make this recipe from her, and some tips are shared below. These are also known as sabbaki vada in Kannada.
I make these Sago Fritters recipe on regular days. I usually add finely chopped onions, curry leaves, and chaat masala to the vada mixture to enhance the taste and flavor.
If you want to make a guilt-free low-oil snack, 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 methods below.
Other popular recipes prepared from Tapioca Pearls are Sabudana Kheer, Sabudana Khichdi.
Jump to:
- What Is Sabudana Vada?
- Why You'll Love This Sabudana Vada Recipe
- Sago Vada Ingredients
- How to Make Best Sabudana Vada
- Serving Suggestions
- Make-Ahead & Storage Suggestions
- Tips to Make the Best Sabudana Vada
- Variations
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Air Fryer Recipes
- More Indian Appetizer Recipes
- Sabudana Vada Recipe (Deep Fry, Air Fryer and Appe Pan)
What Is Sabudana Vada?
Sabudana Vada is a popular Indian appetizer or snack from sabudana, also known as tapioca pearls or sago, which are first soaked before being combined with boiled and mashed potatoes, peanuts, and spices. It is then deep-fried until crispy and golden.
This vada is served as a tea-time snack and is often paired with yogurt, green chutney, or ketchup. Additionally, it is a well-liked fasting food for the Hindu festival of Navratri.
Why You'll Love This Sabudana Vada Recipe
- Easy to make
- Delicious
- Perfect for vrat (fasting days) and festivals.
- No garlic, no onion recipe
- Perfect for an evening snack
- Vegan, Gluten-free
Sago Vada Ingredients
List of ingredients to make the sabudana vada recipe.
- Sabudana: Also known as Tapioca Pearls or Sago. I like to use regular tapioca pearls (sago pearls) in this recipe. They can be easily found in Indian Grocery stores or on Amazon. Soaking time will vary based on the quality of the sabudana.
- Potatoes: I used boiled and mashed potatoes for this recipe. This helps to bind the vada mixture well.
- Peanuts: I used raw peanuts, which I further dry-roasted, peeled the skin off, and then lightly crushed in a blender. You may also use store-bought unsalted roasted peanuts to reduce the roasting time.
- Ginger: Use freshly grated or minced ginger. You can skip it if making for vrat/fasting.
- Cumin seeds: Cumin (jeera) seeds add great flavor.
- Green Chilies: I have used Thai green chilies for the heat.
- Corn starch (Or Rice flour): helps to soak any excess moisture and makes the vadas crispier. This is optional. Substitute with Kuttu ka atta (buckwheat flour), Rajgira (amaranth flour) when making it for fasting.
- Lemon juice: freshly squeezed lemon juice tastes best.
- Coriander leaves: adding finely chopped coriander leaves enhances the dish's taste.
How to Make Best Sabudana Vada
Step 1: Preparation
Firstly, Rinse the sabudana 1-2 times and drain all the water. Next, soak the sabudana in 2 cups of water for 2-4 hours (time may vary based on the quality of the sabudana. I soaked mine for 2 hrs). Some need only 2 hours, while others need 4-6 hours.
They will double in size after soaking, and you can easily mash them between your fingers. Also, ensure 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. You can also roast the peanuts in the air fryer or use store-bought roasted peanuts.
Grind them into a coarse powder.
If using a stovetop pressure cooker, 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 been released naturally, drain water, peel the potato skin, mash it well and keep aside.
Step 2: Making the dough & shaping the vadas
Take soaked sabudana, mashed potatoes, peanut powder, chilies, ginger, cumin seeds, corn starch, lemon juice, coriander leaves, and salt in a mixing bowl.
Mix everything well. Also, make sure the dough should be stiff and not soft or sticky. If it is smooth, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of cornflour on regular days or kuttu ka atta if fasting.
Divide the dough into equal sizes 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 Sabudana Tikkis hot with green coriander chutney or tomato ketchup.
Method 2: Air fryer Sabudana Vada using Instant Vortex Plus Air fryer
I have used Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer for this method. However, you can use an air fryer, which is available.
Preheat your air fryer to 395°F (200°C).
Spray or brush the air fryer basket with some oil, so the vada doesn’t stick. Now, place the vadas into a single layer. Brush some oil on top of the vadas.
Air fry at 395°F (200°C) for 15-18 minutes or until the vadas start browning and turn crispy. Flip the vadas, halfway through and spray some oil on the top.
Once vadas are crispy and golden brown, take them onto the plate and serve air fryer sabudana vada hot with ketchup or green chutney. They should be eaten right away, or else they can turn chewy.
Method 3: Sabudana Vada using Appe Pan
Heat the appe / paniyaram / aebleskiver pan on medium low heat. Add a few drops of oil to 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, and drizzle a 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 vadas or Sago Fritters hot with green chutney or ketchup.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this yummy crispy sabudana vada hot with coriander mint chutney or tomato ketchup and a cup of Masala chai for the perfect evening snack.
During fasting days (vrats) or Navratri days, you can serve this vada with farali chutney or even sweetened yogurt (curd).
Make-Ahead & Storage Suggestions
- Meal Prep: You can soak the sabudana 1-day earlier and store them in the refrigerator after draining the water. You may also boil, peel, and mash the potatoes and store them in your refrigerator a day ahead. Roast the peanuts, de-skin, and crush them.
- Store: Prep this vada ahead of time, shape them, and store the uncooked sabudana vada in the refrigerator until ready to use. Deep fry them just before serving. You can also freeze them for 1 month, defrost, and fry them before serving.
Tips to Make the Best Sabudana Vada
- Know your Sabudana: Soaking time mainly depends on the quality of the sabudana (tapioca pearls), it can vary from 2-4 hours to a few more hours.
- Soak Sabudana well: Perfectly soaked sabudana will double in size, be fluffy, and can be easily mashed between the fingers. If it is not soaked correctly, it can burst in oil and make the vadas hard and chewy.
- Drain Sabudana well: Ensure to drain the water from the soaked sabudana completely using a fine mesh sieve or colander. Otherwise, moisture in the sabudana can make the vadas soggy.
- Add flour: I like to add 1-2 tablespoons of corn flour (or rice flour) to the vada mixture. This helps to bind the mixture, absorb moisture and make the vada crispier. During fasting, add vrat atta like kuttu (buckwheat flour) or rajgira (amaranth flour).
- Oil Temperature: Make sure to deep fry the vada on medium-high heat. Frying on high heat will quickly brown the vada from the outside and make it undercooked inside. Frying at low temperatures will break or make the vadas oily.
- Bake in an Oven: You can bake sabudana vadas by preheating the oven and baking at 360°F (180°C) for 25-30 minutes.
Variations
- With Onions: On regular days, you can also add finely chopped onions while mixing vada. They taste delicious.
- With Sweet Potatoes: You can swap potatoes with sweet potatoes. However, it will result in a sweeter-tasting sabudana wada.
- Spices: You may also use red chili powder to make it extra spicy, when you are not fasting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Rinsing sabudana 1-2 times under the water, helps to get rid of excess starch and prevents sabudana from sticking to each other.
Soaking time will vary based on the quality of the sabudana. Ideally, it takes 2-4 hours to soak perfectly. Soaked sago pearls should double in size, and be easily mashed between the fingers.
If your vadas are breaking in the oil, it means it has excess moisture or needs more binding agents like boiled potatoes. You may add more boiled potatoes and/or cornstarch (or rice flour) to reduce the moisture and prevent them from breaking.
Improperly soaked sabudana can burst while frying or due to excess moisture, i.e., if you have not drained the sabudana well.
Yes. You can store the leftover soaked sabudana in the fridge for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
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- Aloo Tikki
- Vegetable Rice Cutlet
- Barbeque Nation Style Cajun Potatoes
- Veg Chili Cheese Toast
- Dahi Puri
- Khaman Dhokla
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Sabudana Vada Recipe (Deep Fry, Air Fryer and Appe Pan)
Ingredients
- ½ cup sabudana (sago or tapioca pearls)
- 2 medium potatoes boiled & mashed, (about 1 cup)
- ¼ cup roasted & coarsely crushed peanuts
- 2 green chilies finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated, optional
- 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. Next, 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. You can also roast the peanuts in the air fryer or use store-bought roasted peanuts.
- Grind into a coarse powder.
- If using a stovetop pressure cooker, 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.
- Take soaked sabudana, mashed potatoes, peanut powder, chilies, ginger, cumin seeds, corn starch, lemon juice, coriander leaves, and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Mix everything well. Also, make sure the dough should be stiff and not soft or sticky. If it is smooth, 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.
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 vadas with green coriander chutney or tomato ketchup.
Using Air Fryer:
- I have used Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer for this method. However, you can use an air fryer which is available.
- Preheat your air fryer to 395°F (200°C).
- Spray or brush the air fryer basket with some oil, so the vada doesn’t stick. Now place the vadas into a single layer. Brush some oil on top of the vadas.
- Air fry at 395°F (200°C) for 15-18 minutes or until the vadas start browning and turn crispy. Flip the vadas, halfway through and spray some oil on the top.
- Once vadas are crispy and golden brown, take them onto the plate and serve air fryer sabudana vada hot with ketchup or green chutney.They should be eaten right away, or else they can turn chewy.
Using Appe Pan:
- Heat the appe / paniyaram / aebleskiver pan on medium low heat. Add a few drops of oil to 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 a few more drops of oil. 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 to Make the Best Sabudana Wada
- Know your Sabudana: Soaking time mainly depends on the quality of the sabudana (tapioca pearls), it can vary from 2-4 hours to a few more hours.Â
- Soak Sabudana well: Perfectly soaked sabudana will double in size, be fluffy, and can be easily mashed between the fingers. If it is not soaked correctly, it can burst in oil and make the vadas hard and chewy.
- Drain Sabudana well: Ensure to drain the water from the soaked sabudana completely using a fine mesh sieve or colander. Otherwise, moisture in the sabudana can make the vadas soggy.
- Add flour: I like to add 1-2 tablespoons of corn flour (or rice flour) to the vada mixture. This helps to bind the mixture, absorb moisture and make the vada crispier. During fasting, add vrat atta like kuttu (buckwheat flour) or rajgira (amaranth flour).
- Oil Temperature:Â Make sure to deep fry the vada on medium-high heat. Frying on high heat will quickly brown the vada from the outside and make it undercooked inside. Frying at low temperatures will break or make the vadas oily.
- Baking in an Oven: You can bake sabudana vadas by preheating the oven and baking at 360°F (180°C) for 25-30 minutes.
Variations
- With Onions: On regular days, you can also add finely chopped onions while mixing vada. They taste delicious.
- With Sweet Potatoes: You can swap potatoes with sweet potatoes. However, it will result in a sweeter-tasting sabudana wada.
- Spices: You may also use red chili powder to make it extra spicy, when you are not fasting.
Sonuja says
awsome recipe ,turned out nice in airfryer
bhavana says
Thank you Sonuja
Anonymous says
yummy
bhavana says
Thank you 🙂