Crispy Sabudana Vada (+Air Fryer Option)

Sabudana Vada is a beloved Maharashtrian snack made with tapioca pearls (sago), potatoes, peanuts, herbs, and spices. Crispy on the outside and soft inside, these golden fritters are simply irresistible!

This is my mom’s well-tested recipe that she has been making for years, ensuring perfect results every time. Whether you prefer to deep-fry them the traditional way or make a lighter air fryer version, these vadas are vegan, gluten-free, and a delicious choice for fasting days or tea-time snacking.

India is a nation with diverse religions and cultures; it is common for people to observe fasting every other month. One is told to adhere to a Sattvik diet during these fasts/ vrats/ upvaas, which entails eating only fruits and vegetarian foods.

One of the popular fasting foods in India is sabudana vada, which is traditionally prepared for celebrations such as Navratri, Maha Shivratri, Hartalika Teej, and Ganesh Chaturthi.

This starchy food with a lot of carbohydrates and very little protein is called sago or sabudana. It is not a grain or cereal, making it the perfect food for fasting. Sago, the ingredient used to make the vada, is filling and easy on the stomach. Sabudana is used to make festive and fasting foods and snacks like sabudana tikki, sabudana khichdi, and sabudana kheer (tapioca pudding).

Deep-fried patties made with tapioca pearls, potatoes, roasted peanuts, spices, herbs, and seasonings are known as sabudana vadas or sabudana patties. The potatoes are first boiled, mashed, or grated. This is a classic Maharashtrian street snack.

The potatoes help hold the patty mixture together, preventing the vada from crumbing or disintegrating while frying. The peanuts give the patties an enjoyable crunch, and the herbs and spices make them more flavorful.

This tasty snack recipe includes peanuts, which gives it a nice texture. This recipe for evening tea is ready in under 30 minutes if you have the sago pearls pre-soaked. These crispy and fluffy Sabudana vadas are also delicious for breakfast – my kids love them!

Watch How to Make Sabudana Vada

Ingredients

You only need a few ingredients to create this tasty dish!

• Sabudana: This is the star ingredient. It is also referred to as sago or tapioca pearls. It is readily available at Indian grocery stores. Use good-quality, big pearls. This needs to be soaked before you can use it in the recipe, so it requires some planning.
• Potato: This recipe calls for boiled and mashed potatoes. They are used to bind the sago. You can use any potatoes – red, yellow, or Yukon. Make sure they are mashed really well.
• Peanuts: I’ve used crushed raw peanuts. Make sure you remove the skin. If you have a peanut allergy, you can skip them, but these give a characteristic flavor and nuttiness to the dish. Peanuts add the crunch and nutrition to the vadas.
• Cilantro: Add freshly chopped cilantro leaves for the flavor and aroma.
• Green Chilli: This adds spice and heat to the vadas. Adjust according to your taste.
• Salt: Add salt according to taste. But if you are fasting, use rock salt (sendha namak)
• Oil: You can use any vegetable oil for deep frying. People who consume these vadas during fasting use peanut oil to fry them.

Variations

• You can add grated ginger to the vada mix. It not only adds flavor but also improves digestion.
• You can add some lemon juice to the mix to add some tanginess.
• Some people also add cumin seeds and black pepper to the vadas.
• You can use cashews instead of peanuts if you like.
• If you like sweet potatoes, swap them for potatoes for sweeter-tasting vadas.
• Sabudana vadas can be baked in the oven at 360°F (180°C) for 30 minutes for a guilt-free version.
• If you are not fasting, you can also mix in finely chopped onions and chaat masala to make delicious vada.

How To Soak Sabudana?

Rinse the sabudana/ sago thoroughly, about 3-4 times, until the water is clear. Basically, you need to get rid of the starch. Next, soak 1 cup sabudana in 1/2 cup of water for at least 6 hours. I soak mine overnight. Cover and store in a cool, dry place. The duration of time spent soaking will vary depending on the type of sabudana.

After they are soaked, they double in size and become fluffy. To check if the sabudana has been soaked well, press the soaked sago between your index finger and thumb. It should mash easily, and the center shouldn’t be hard.

Pro-Tips

• Making these crispy, crunchy vadas requires thoroughly soaking the sabudana (tapioca pearls). It should be soaked until it can be easily mashed between two fingers.
• Sabudana should be soaked in half the quantity of water. That is, use 1/2 cup of water to soak 1 cup of sabudana. You don’t want too much water in the sabudana.
• Make sure the oil is medium-hot. If the oil is too hot, they may brown quickly and have a burnt taste.
• Sabudana or potatoes should be moisture-free, as this could cause the vadas to break.
• If you want to make the sabudana potato mixture ahead of time, then also shape them into vada’s before storing them in the refrigerator. Otherwise, they can be harder to shape as the mixture can have more moisture.
• Fry the vadas in batches because if you fry too many at once, they may stick to one another – so avoid overcrowding.

How To Make Perfect Sabudana Vada?

Read below on how to make the most amazing sabudana vadas in 3 different ways.

Rinse sabudana thoroughly until the water runs clear, and then soak it as detailed above.

Grate boiled potatoes in a large bowl. Transfer the sabudana to the bowl. Add crushed roasted peanuts, cilantro, green chilies, and salt. You may also add ginger or lime juice if you like.

Divide the mixture into 13 – 15 equal parts, make round balls, and then flatten them a bit.

Method 1: Traditional Deep Frying

• Heat oil on medium-high heat in a kadai or wok. Make sure the oil is hot by dropping a single sabudana ball. It should quickly float to the top.
• Now add 3-5 vadas to the oil depending on the size of the kadhai; don’t overcrowd the kadai.

• Fry vadas until golden brown and crisp from both sides. Transfer to a plate covered with a paper towel to drain any excess oil.
• Serve sabudana vada with chutney, ketchup, or anything that you like.

Method 2: Air Fryer Sabudana Vada

• Spray some oil in the air fryer basket. Place vada’s in a single layer, leaving space between each. Brush or spray some oil on top of the vada’s.

• Air fry for about 16 -18 minutes at 390°F. Flip the vada’s at about the 10-minute mark.
• Once vadas are crispy and golden brown, serve them hot with ketchup or green chutney.

Method 3: Sabudana Vada using Appe Pan

• On medium-low heat, heat the paniyaram / aebleskiver pan. To each round section, add a few drops of oil.
• Place the small sago balls and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium-low heat.
• Each ball should be turned over, and a few more oil drops should be added.
• Once more, cook them under cover for 3–4 minutes more or until crisp and golden brown.
• Serve these Sago fritters hot with mint chutney or ketchup.

How to prevent Sabudana Vada from breaking?

Getting Sabudana Vada right can sometimes be tricky — I struggled with vadas breaking in the oil a few times before mastering the recipe. If this happens, it usually comes down to two reasons:

1. Improperly soaked sabudana: If the sago pearls aren’t soaked properly, they can burst during frying. Always soak until they are soft and easily mashable (test by pressing a pearl between your fingers). Also, make sure the sabudana is completely drained, as excess moisture can cause the oil to splatter.
2. Moisture and binding issues: If the mixture isn’t binding well or has too much moisture, the vadas will fall apart. To fix this, add more boiled potatoes and/or rice flour. For fasting days, you can substitute with buckwheat flour (kuttu ka atta) or amaranth flour (rajgira atta). A little cornstarch also helps absorb excess moisture.
3. Incorrect frying temperature: Frying on low heat causes vadas to disintegrate and soak up extra oil. Always make sure the oil is hot enough: drop in a small ball of the mixture, and if it rises gradually to the surface, you’re ready to fry.

Serving Suggestion

For the ideal breakfast or afternoon snack, serve them with mint cilantro chutney– that’s my favorite combination! You can also serve it with tomato ketchup.

For fasting days, you can serve sabudana vadas with farali peanut chutney. This is very easy to make. Simply combine yogurt, ground peanuts, red sugar, red chili powder, and salt. Whisk it well, and it’s ready.

It also tastes great when eaten with plain yogurt or even sweetened curd.

But just like any deep-fried food, sabudana vada is just perfect with a hot cup of masala chai.

Storage Instructions

It is best to serve sabudana vada while it is piping hot and crispy. For the best flavor, you can prepare this vada mixture ahead of time, shape it, and store it in the refrigerator or freezer. However, fry it right before serving to relish the crunch and taste!

In the refrigerator, sabudana vada will keep well for 3-5 days. The vada can also be frozen for up to a month. Before serving, defrost and reheat the vada.

To reheat, you can use an air fryer at 400°F for 2-3 minutes. You can also reheat in the microwave for 30-60 seconds, but they will not be as crunchy.

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