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    Home » Recipes » Snacks

    Sabudana Vada Recipe

    Published: October 13, 2020 · Modified: October 13, 2020 by Uma Raghupathi · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 14 Comments

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    Sabudana Vada is a very popular Indian snack made with tapioca pearls (sago), boiled potatoes, and peanuts. With flavorful ingredients, this deep-fried (or pan-fried) dish can be great as a tea time snack or as finger food in your next family event.

    Sabudana Vada placed on the white paper along with chilies this recipe
    Jump to:
    • Pairing options
    • Main ingredients
    • Tips and variations
    • Method 
    • 📖 Recipe

    As the festival and holiday seasons come closer, here’s an awesome recipe for Sabudana vada! Who would say no to fritters on a cold wintery day? So bookmark this recipe for that special day when you are craving crispy fritters during tea time.

    As sabudana is rich in complex carbohydrates, it is used to make various dishes as an alternative to rice in India. This is especially true on days that people observe religious fasting. Nevertheless, the crunchy snack is an all-time favorite for me during any time of the year. 

    The names for these tapioca pearls can be a little confusing. “Sabudana” or “sagu” or “sabakki” or ‘javvarisi” all refer to the same grain.  The recipe is as simple as it gets but it does have a little bit of prep work involved. But I will show you the steps in detail and you will be able to prepare them in the exact way that I wowed my family.  

    All recipes with sabudana involve soaking them in water or boiling them to soften them. Sabudana vada recipe requires the grains to soak in water well over 2 hours to soften them. Missing this step can result in a hard grainy core that could be hard to chew or the vada could end up being too dry. Soaking them is very important to get a crunchy, tasty, and spongy vada that provides a filling feel quickly. 

    Pairing options

    With seasoning like ginger, cilantro and black pepper, the vada certainly is full of flavor, but the right pairing makes it a delectable combo. I like to time these with tea time as a snack. Pairing with a spicy green chili chutney can be great if you make your vadas not so spicy. Other pairings can be coriander chutney or tamarind chutney.

    There are two different ways to cook the batter and I have included detailed instructions for both methods. As long as you use the right ingredients and prep the grains well, the method of cooking does not matter a whole lot and the recipe is definitely worth a try!

    Main ingredients

    Sabudana, potatoes and other ingredients are placed in a big bowl

    Sabudana 

    Potato

    Peanuts

    Ginger 

    Cilantro 

    Black pepper

    And salt

    Tips and variations

    • Soaking sabudana is a crucial part in preparing this recipe. You need to soak them for 2-3 hours. 
    • Potatoes help in holding the vada intact. So if your vada breaks down during deep frying, just mash another boiled potato and prepare the dough. 
    • One alternative to adding potatoes is to add rice flour. Rice flour helps in binding the ingredients together. 
    • Be sure not to skip peanuts as they only help in getting a crunchy bite, but also help absorb moisture from the grains.

    Method 

    A box filled with many ingredients with sabakki vada

    In a large bowl, take 1 ½ cup sabudana grains and soak them underwater for 3 hours. Meanwhile peel the skins of 2 boiled potatoes. Grate them and set aside for later. After the grains soak for 3 hours, drain off the water and let it sit for 30 minutes, allowing them to drain off the water completely. 

    In a separate pan, fry ¼  cup peanuts without oil and grind them to a powder consistency. In a large bowl, mix the peanuts and grated potatoes to the soaked sabudana grains. 

    Follow up with 2 teaspoon grated ginger, ¼  teaspoon black pepper powder, 1 chili, 2 tablespoon coriander leaves, and salt.

    Mix well and prep them according to your cooking preference. If you prefer to use the appe pan, make round balls that fit the slots or flatten them like patties to deep fry. Let us look at each method in more detail.

    Deep fry method -Place a pan with 2”-3” of oil for deep frying. When oil has heated up, drop the flattened vada or patties one by one and deep fry until it turns golden. 

    For appe pan method: Place an appe pan or appam pan over medium heat and drop a few teaspoon of oil in each slot. When the pan heats up, place the vada balls and cover it with a lid.  Turn over the vadas after 2 minutes or so and continue to cook until they turn crispy golden on both sides. 

    Finally, serve these crispy sabudana vada fritters warm along with a hot cup of masala tea.

    To avoid excess grease, be sure to let the deep fried vadas sit on a piece of tissue paper as it cools down. Using the appe pan is less greasy to begin with.  Appe pan gets you the same taste but a healthier version. My family enjoyed both versions equally well and the fitters disappeared in less than 15 minutes. The trick lies in timing the snacks to tea time and striking the balance between crispy outer and a soft core. I hope your family will enjoy it as much as my family did.

    Black tray filled with sabudana vada and tomato sauce

    If this recipe interests you, look for similar recipes in my blog such as the

    • Sabudana Kheer - Tapioca Pearl Pudding
    • Masala Vada - Channa Dal Vada Recipe
    • Crispy Bread Vada Recipe
    • Cabbage Masala Vada
    • Cabbage Kofta - Cabbage Kofta Curry

    If you have time comment below and rate the recipe in the comment box below.  Follow me on social media's Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. 

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    📖 Recipe

    Sabudana Vada placed on the white paper along with chilies

    Sabudana Vada Recipe - Javvarisi Vadai

    Uma Raghupathi
    Sabudana Vada is a very popular Indian snack made with tapioca pearls (sago), boiled potatoes, and peanuts. With flavorful ingredients, this deep-fried (or pan-fried) dish can be great as a tea time snack or as finger food in your next family event.
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Recipe
    Prep Time:10 mins
    Cook Time:25 mins
    Soaking Time:3 hrs
    Total Time:3 hrs 35 mins
    Course :Appetizer, Snack
    Cuisine :Indian
    Servings 6 people
    Calories 51 kcal

    Equipment

    • Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowl
    • Appe Pan OR Appam Pan

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 ½ cup sabudana
    • 2 medium-size potato
    • ¼ roasted peanuts
    • 1 green chili
    • 2 teaspoon grated ginger
    • Salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 strand curry leaves - optional
    • 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped
    • Oil for deep fry - (if you prefer to deep fry)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • In a large bowl, take 1 ½ cup sabudana grains and soak them underwater for 3 hours. Meanwhile, peel the skins of 2 boiled potatoes. Grate them and set aside for later. After the grains soak for 3 hours, drain off the water and let it sit for 30 minutes, allowing them to drain off the water completely.
    • In a separate pan, fry ¼ cup peanuts without oil and grind them to a powder consistency. In a large bowl, mix the peanuts and grated potatoes to the soaked sabudana grains.
    • Follow up with 2 teaspoon grated ginger, ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder, 1 chili, 2 tablespoon coriander leaves, and salt.
    • Mix well and prep them according to your cooking preference. If you prefer to use the appe pan, make round balls that fit the slots or flatten them like patties to deep fry. Let us look at each method in more detail.
    • Deep fry method -Place a pan with 2”-3” of oil for deep frying. When oil has heated up, drop the flattened vada or patties one by one and deep fry until it turns golden.
    • For appe pan method: Place an appe pan or appam pan over medium heat and drop a few teaspoon of oil in each slot. When the pan heats up, place the vada balls and cover it with a lid. Turn over the vadas after 2 minutes or so and continue to cook until they turn crispy golden on both sides.
    • Finally, serve these crispy sabudana vada fritters warm along with a hot cup of masala tea.

    Video

    Notes

    To avoid excess grease, be sure to let the deep-fried vadas sit on a piece of tissue paper as it cools down. Using the appe pan is less greasy, to begin with.
     
    Note: The nutrition values I show here are my best estimates. Please be sure to check your preferred nutrition calculator, if you are relying on accurate calculations in your diet.

    YOUR OWN NOTES

    Click here to add your own private notes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 51kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is an estimation only.

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    A black tray filled with crispy sabudana vada along with green chutney
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lathiya

      November 02, 2020 at 2:46 pm

      Sabudana Vada looks delicious and it sounds great. GLad you provided the deep fry and appe pan method to make this vada.5 stars

      Reply
    2. Padma Veeranki

      October 28, 2020 at 11:02 am

      I too like to make sabudana vada in appe pan...Love the texture of these crispy vadas...all I need is a cup of coffee to go along with them!!5 stars

      Reply
    3. Sandhya Ramakrishnan

      October 25, 2020 at 5:32 pm

      One of the ingredients that I fail over and over again is Sabudana. For whatever reason I just canot seem to cook it as good as you! I am so tempted to make the sabudana vada with your recipe. Looks so wonderful!5 stars

      Reply
    4. Jagruti's Cooking Odyssey

      October 24, 2020 at 1:32 am

      If someone asks me what is my favourite farali snacks? My vote goes to sabudana vada. Appam pan version is good too.

      Reply
    5. Priya Srinivasan

      October 23, 2020 at 11:41 am

      Sabudana vada looks so tempting!!! Love the appe pan versions. The vadas, are so inviting, i feel like making them immediately! such a delish snack any time!5 stars

      Reply
    6. Poonam bachhav

      October 22, 2020 at 12:31 am

      Sabudana vada is the most favourite fasting food at my place. Yours look so crisp and perfectly done. Best part is the use of appe pan to make them.5 stars

      Reply
    7. Mayuri Patel

      October 21, 2020 at 12:47 pm

      Navratri is incomplete without having sabudana vada at least once if not everyday. I too make them in the appe pan as hubby loves them and I can't deep fry them for all nine days. Love how the Vadas look as though they are stunned with pearls.5 stars

      Reply
    8. Lata Lala

      October 21, 2020 at 11:07 am

      During fasting month these kind of simple and easy recipes are such a blessing. Sabudana vada tops the list and making it in appe pan sounds good too.5 stars

      Reply
      • Uma Raghupathi

        October 21, 2020 at 12:06 pm

        Thank you Lata

        Reply
    9. Rafeeda - The Big Sweet Tooth

      October 20, 2020 at 10:40 pm

      Somehow for us in Kerala, sago is only for adding into payasams, and seeing this recipe and knowing I have everything in my pantry, I am just so tempted to try it out but my only problem is I am at work and have to wait to get that feeling out... It just looks so delicious, and yes would be amazing with some masala chai...5 stars

      Reply
      • Uma Raghupathi

        October 21, 2020 at 12:05 pm

        Hope you will make this Rafeeda.

        Reply
    10. Pavani

      October 20, 2020 at 8:17 pm

      LOVE these crispy and delicious sabudana vada. Love the idea of making them in the appe pan. Thanks for sharing this.5 stars

      Reply
    11. Bless my food by Payal

      October 16, 2020 at 8:40 am

      Navratras are few hours away and such recipes at this point of time are truly a saviours. Made yum with little things in hand.5 stars

      Reply
      • Uma Raghupathi

        October 16, 2020 at 6:49 pm

        Yes 🙂

        Reply

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