Sabudana Vada | Sabudana Cutlet

Sabudana vada (sago patties) is a delectable, crispy, popular Indian snack made with tapioca pearls (or sago), potatoes, peanuts & a handful of spices. It is vegan, gluten free and can be consumed during Navratri vrat (Hindu fasting) also.

Navratri festival is incomplete at my home without these crunchy sago fritters or sabudana tikki. Everyone loves them as evening snack with cilantro or tamarind chutney accompanied by a hot cup of masala chai.

These sabudana vada are easy to make and can be deep fried, pan fried or made in air fryer. If you have boiled potatoes and soaked sabudana in fridge, these take barely 15 minutes of cooking time.

Sabudana Vada Ingredients:

Sabudana: Also known as tapioca pearls or sago, it is especially consumed during vrat or fast in various sweet & savory recipes like khichdi (pilaf), kheer (pudding), paratha or namkeen.

To get the correct texture in vada, always use medium sized sabudana. The trick to use tapioca pearls is to soak them properly, just enough so that they are soft but not mushy.

Potatoes: Mashed potatoes act as a binding agent for fritters and also makes them crunchy. It is better if you can use boiled potatoes which have cooled completely.

Peanuts: These add a lovely nutty flavour and texture to the cutlets. Instead of peanuts, you can even use cashews and make vada without them to keep the recipe nut-free.

Spices: These sago potato patties are lightly spiced with jeera (cumin), salt and red chilli powder. If you don’t consume red chilli during fasting, then skip adding it.

Chillies & Cilantro: Green chillies add spiciness and cilantro adds lovely fresh aroma to sabudana tikki.

I have tried to explain the sabudana tikki recipe step by step with images (with video) in this post. If you follow the exact proportions and technique, then I am sure you will definitely nail it in first attempt.

Youtube Video:

Other sabudana recipes:

• Mango Sabudana Kheer (Pudding) 
• Sabudana Khichdi (Tapioca pearl Pilaf)

Ingredients: (Makes 12 pieces)

• Sabudana (or Sago)- 1/2 cup
• Potatoes (boiled)- 3 medium
• Green Chillies (chopped)- 2
• Coriander or Cilantro (chopped)- 4 tbsp
• Roasted Peanuts (coarsely ground)- 3 tbsp (optional)
• Cumin Seeds (Jeera)- 1 tsp
• Rock Salt (Sendha Namak)- 1 tsp (or to taste)
• Red Chilli Powder- 1/2 tsp
• Oil- For deep frying

(Adding peanuts is optional. You can easily make sabudana vada without it)

Directions:

Step 1:
Transfer the sabudana or sago to a bowl or container. Wash 1 to 2 times. Fill it with water such that its level is just little above the level of sabudana.

Cover with a lid and let them soak for 2-3 hours. If you want to use them for breakfast, do this a night and keep the container in fridge.

Step 2:
To the soaked sabudana, add boiled potatoes, rock salt, red chilli powder, ground peanuts, green chillies and coriander. Before you start mixing, grate the potatoes using a grater or mash them.

Mix well to make a uniform potato and sabudana mash. Taste the mixture and adjust salt or red chilli powder as per your taste.

Step 3:
Grease you palms with a little bit of oil. Take a spoonful of mash and form round balls out of it. Gently press it from the top. Repeat the process with the entire quantity of mash.

Step 4:
Heat oil in a pan or kadhai. Carefully slide the vadas in it. Fry them on medium-high flame (The oil should neither be too hot nor cool. We want to give sabudana enough time to cook and puff up).

Turn them carefully and fry till they turn golden brown on all sides.

Step 5:
Transfer them on a kitchen tissue paper so that extra oil is absorbed. Crunchy yummy sabudana vadas are ready. Serve them hot with tangy coriander chutney or tamarind chutney.

More Navratri Recipes :

• Kacche Kele Ki Tikki
• Navratri Paneer Pakora
• Sama Rice Tikki or Cutlet
  
• Kuttu Ke Pakore (Buckwheat Fritters)

Tips:

1. In case vadas are breaking while frying, it means moisture is too high in them. Add 1-2 tbsp kuttu aata (buckwheat flour) or singhada atta (chestnut flour) for additional binding.
2. The oil should be sufficiently hot when frying otherwise the vada can stick to the bottom of kadhai or pan. To check whether the oil is hot enough or not, drop a small piece of sabudana vada in it. If it rise to the top, it means oil is ready.
3. Fry the ‘vadas’ on medium flame giving them enough time to cook. Too high temperature will cook them quickly from outside without cooking from inside.
4. After transferring vada or tikki in hot oil, give it few seconds to cook. Once the sabudana is cooked, the vada will automatically come to the surface. Don’t be in a hurry to flip them.

Pin for later:

If you try this easy sabudana aloo ki tikki recipe & share pics on social media, then don’t forget to tag us on Facebook, Instagram or use #kuchpakrahahai.

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