Sabudana Vada – is a yummy snack and also made as fasting snack. It is a fried patty made with tapioca pearls (sago), potatoes, peanuts and herbs. This Gluten-free and vegan vada is super delicious, and it is crispy from outside with a soft and light texture from inside. In Indian tradition, most Hindus fast on Ekadashi days every month and during 9 days of Navrathri period. On the days of fasting, food that is taken should not contain onions, garlic, wheat products, lentils or pulses. Sabudana is a great source of energy, carbohydrates and glucose, hence served during fasting.

Sabudana is also known as saggubiyyam in telugu and sago in other regions.

Sago or Sabudana is a most common ingredient that is used in some recipes made during the fasting period. Both Sabudana Vada and Sabudana Khichdi are two popular recipes people like to have during fasting days.

Soaking of sabudana is a crucial part of preparing sabudana vada. It may depend on what type of sabudana you are using, but most of the times, sabudana needs 3-4 hours of soaking time. Potato works as a binding agent here to keep the pearls intact. Peanuts gives crunchy bite to sago vada, and also helps to absorb moisture from the sago.

How to make Sabudana Vada – 2 ways

PREP TIME: 10 MINS  COOK TIME: 20-25 MINS  TOTAL TIME: 35 MINS  COURSE: SNACK  CUISINE: NORTH INDIAN SERVINGS : 12 VADA, 12 PONGANALU/APPE

Ingredients

sabudana/sago/saggubiyyam – 1 cup	curry leaves – 2 tsp
boiled potato – 1 cup	roasted, crushed peanuts – 1/2 cup
green chillies – 2-3 tbsp	lemon juice – 1 tbsp
mint leaves – 1 tbsp	salt – 1 tsp
coriander leaves – 2-3 tbsp	jeera – 1 tsp
oil – for frying	ginger – 1 tsp

Instructions

1. Rinse and soak sabudana in 1 cup water for 3-4 hrs or over night. This is the perfect measurement, so you don’t need to remove excess water.
2. In a mixing bowl, add soaked sabudana pearls, boiled potato, roasted and crushed peanuts, coriander leaves, curry leaves, mint leaves, green chillies, lemon juice, ginger, salt and jeera.
3. Mix and mash everything well with your hand to form a dough.
4. Make small dough balls for ponganalu/appe(shallow fry), make small balls with dough and flatten them between your hands for deep frying.
5. Prepare vada by deep frying or fry in ponganalu/apam pan.
6. Serve with sweet or hot chuney or serve with tea.

Tips

1. If the pearls are not binding as you want, add more potato.
2. You can also bake these in oven at 350 F for 30 mins.

Step by step photo instructions

1. Rinse and soak sabudana in 1 cup water for 3-4 hrs or over night. This is the perfect measurement, so you don’t need to remove excess water.

2. In a mixing bowl, add soaked sabudana pearls, boiled potato, roasted and crushed peanuts, coriander leaves, curry leaves, mint leaves, green chillies, lemon juice, ginger, salt and jeera.

3. Mix and mash everything well with your hand to form a dough.

4. Make small dough balls for ponganalu/appe(shallow fry), make small balls with dough and flatten them between your hands for deep frying.

5. Prepare vada by deep frying or shallow fry in ponganalu/apam pan.

6. Serve with sweet or hot chuney or serve with tea.