No Fry Sabudana Vada {Crispy-Spicy Sago Fritters}

Sabudana Vada is a Maharashtrian delicacy made with sago, mashed potatoes, ground peanuts, chillies and cumin seeds. All the ingredients are mixed together, rolled into small balls and then fried into crispy and delish fritters. Served with a sweet, and spicy yogurt chutney these fritters are sure to tickle your taste buds.

Sabudana vada is one of the traditional fasting foods in India made for festivals like ‘Hartalika‘, ‘Maha Shivratri’ and ‘Ganesh Chaturthi’.

I especially cherish memories of my mom celebrating Hartalika, setting up the Puja, making the shiva-linga from the clean river-sand  and then offering the green ‘bel-patra’ leaves to the God. She would recite the story of Hartalika for us so we knew the significance of this day. A special meal with special fasting dishes were prepares and she always made my most favorite fasting dish – sabudana vada!

Every-time I visit India my mom makes sabudana vada for me and I can never stop eating them. They are super tempting and very hard to stop eating. Fasting or not, sabudana vadas make an absolutely delicious snack, lunch or dinner!

Over the last few years I have been making the sabudana vada in the paniyaram/aebleskiver pan to avoid the deep frying. The result is amazing, with the same crispy from the outside and soft from inside vada’s and without all that extra oil and the hassle of deep frying. Recently, I also tried the airfryer sabudana vada and the taste and textures are excellent!

Step by step recipe to make the best Sabudana Vada:

Step 1: Prepare the ingredients

1. Rinse sabudana and drain all the water. Add 1 cup of water and allow the sabudana to soak for 4 hours or overnight.
2. Dry roast skinned peanuts and grind them coarsely.
3. Steam, peel and mash the potato. Note: I like to use Instant Pot to steam the potatoes – Add 1 cup of water to the stainless steel insert, place the trivet and place the medium sized potatoes on the trivet. Pressure cook for 12 to 15 minutes depending on the size and allow natural pressure release.
4. Coarsely grind cumin seeds and green chillies. Note: You can also red chili powder instead of gren chilies or a mix of both

Step 2: Make the dough and form the vadas

Mix together soaked sabudana, mashed potatoes, ground peanuts, green chili, red chili powder, ground cumin, lemon juice, salt and sugar. Mix everything together by hand. Make lemon sized balls, if using an airfryer, Mealthy Crisp Lid or deep frying press the balls to form patties.

Step 3: Cook the Sabudana Vada, using one of the 3 ways

Method 1: Traditional deep fried

• Heat oil for frying in a medium frying pan. Once the oil has heated well, add 2 to 3 flattened Sabudana Vadas to the oil and fry them on low-medium heat until the outside of the vadas are light golden brown and crisp
• Note: flattened sabudana vadas work best for deep frying giving the perfect crispy texture. Be careful and keep a safe distance from the pan as sometimes the individual sabudana pearls may burst in the oil splattering oil out of the fry pan

Method 2: Using the Paniyaram Pan

• Heat the paniyaram/aebleskiver pan on medium low heat. Add a few drops of ghee or oil in each round section. Place the sabudana vada balls in each section and cook covered for 4-5 mins. Depending on the thickness of the pan, it could take more or less time
• Gently flip the fritters using chopstick or small spoon to cook the top side. Add few more drops of ghee on top of each fritter. The one’s in the center definitely cook much faster, so they will have to flipped first.Cover and cook again for another 4-5 mins on medium low heat until they are golden brown and crisp.

Take the first batch out and repeat for the remaining vadas.

Method 3: Using Airfryer

• I prefer using the Mealthy CrispLid for this method. Coat CrispLid basket with 1 teaspoon cooking oil. Place basket over the tall trivet inside the Multipot or Instant Pot. 
• Place 6 to 7 vadas at a time in the basket with some space between each. Close the CrispLid and press the handle back and down. Set the temperature to 500 degrees and adjust the cook time to 8 mins. After the 8 min cooking cycle completes, gently turn the vadas in the basket using a pair of tongs. Close the CrispLid and adjust the cook time to 7 mins. You may brush more oil on the vadas after turning them over. 
• Take the vadas out after the cooking cycle completes.

Pro Tip: You can line up to 8 vadas in the deep fringe basket of the Crsiplid

You can also cook the Sabudana vada using the traditional air fryer. I have the Philips XL Airfryer and the highest temperature it goes is 390 degrees. So I cook it for 11 to 12 minutes on each side.

Step 4: Make the chutney

Whisking together yogurt, ground peanuts, red chili powder, sugar and salt in a medium bowl.

Serve hot sabudana vadas with the peanut chutney. Make the delicious sweet potato halwa and enjoy a complete fasting meal.

Here are some delicious homemade drinks to pair up with sabudana vada:

• Ginger Chai
• Mango Lassi
• Fresh Watermelon Juice
• Homemade Pomegranate Juice
• Fresh Ginger Lemonade

Did you enjoy this fun Indian snack? Here are some more of my favorite Indian vegetarian light meal recipes:

• Ragda Pattice
• Dahi Vada
• Pav Bhaji
• Aloo Chat
• Paneer Kathi Rolls
• Spicy Misal Pav
• Thalipeeth

★ Have you tried this recipe? We love your feedback, Please click on the stars in the recipe card below to rate.

4.34 from 12 votes

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Sabudana Vada – A No-Fry Version {Crispy-Spicy Sago Fritters}

Prep Time

4 hrs

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

4 hrs 20 mins

 

Sabudana Vada – Spicy Sago fritters with an healthy twist!

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Sabudana Vada

Servings: 5

Calories: 387 kcal

Author: Archana Mundhe

Ingredients

• 1 cup sabudana Sago, best bought from Indian stores
• 2 medium yellow potatoes
• 1/2 cup roasted and ground peanuts
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon crushed green chilies or 1 tsp red chili powder or both for a spicer version
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 tablespoon cooking oil or ghee
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro optional

Chutney Ingredients

• 1 cup plain yogurt or low fat
• 1/4 cup roasted and ground peanuts
• 1 to 2 teaspoons kashmiri red chili powder
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 cup water

Instructions

1. Rinse sabudana and drain all the water. Add 1 cup of water and allow the sabudana to soak for 4 hours or overnight.

2. Steam, peel and mash the potatoes.

   Note: I like to use Instant Pot to steam the potatoes – Add 1 cup of water to the stainless steel insert, place the trivet and place the medium sized potatoes on the trivet. Pressure cook for 12 to 15 minutes depending on the size and allow natural pressure release.

3. In a medium bowl, add soaked sabudana, potatoes, peanuts, cumin, green chili, red chili powder, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon oil, salt, and sugar. Mix everything, kneading it gently with your hand. Using around 2 tablespoons of mix at a time, form 20 balls.

Using paniyaram/aebleskiver pan

1. Heat the paniyaram/aebleskiver pan on medium low heat. Add a few drops of ghee in each round section. Place the fritter balls in each section and cook covered for 4-5 mins.

2. Gently flip the fritters using chopstick or small spoon to cook the top side. Add few more drops of ghee on top of each fritter. The one's in the center definitely cook much faster, so they will have to flipped first. Cover and cook again for another 4-5 mins on medium low heat until they turn crisp and golden brown

Using Mealthy Airfryer

1. I prefer using the Mealthy CrispLid for this method. Coat CrispLid basket with 1 teaspoon cooking oil. Place basket over the tall trivet inside the Multipot or Instant Pot. 

2. Press each ball gently between the palm of hands to form 2-inch flat discs. It is ok if some of the sides look uneven. Coat both sides of the pressed vadas with oil using your fingers or a brush.

3. Place 6 to 7 vadas at a time in the basket with some space between each. Close the CrispLid and press the handle back and down. Set the temperature to 500 degrees and adjust the cook time to 8 mins

4. After the 8 min cooking cycle completes, gently turn the vadas in the basket using a pair of tongs. Close the CrispLid and adjust the cook time to 7 mins. You may brush more oil on the vadas after turning them over. Take the vadas out after the cooking cycle completes

Traditional Frying Method

1. Press each ball gently between the palm of hands to form 2-inch flat discs. It is ok if some of the sides look uneven.

2. Heat oil for frying in a medium frying pan. Once the oil has heated well, add 2 to 3 flattened Sabudana Vadas to the oil and fry them on low-medium heat until the outside of the vadas are light golden brown and crisp

3. Note: flattened sabudana vadas work best for deep frying giving the best crispy texture. Be careful and keep a safe distance from the pan as sometimes the individual sabudana pearls may burst in the oil splattering oil out of the fry pan

Make the Chutney

1. In a medium bow, whisk together yogurt, ground peanuts, red chili powder, sugar and salt to make the chutney

2. Serve the fritters hot with this sweet and spicy chutney

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Notes:

1. You don’t need to soak overnight. 4/6 hours in the day is good too. So if u want to make it as an evening party starter and haven’t planned the night before, no fret!

You can also cook the Sabudana vada using the traditional air fryer. I have the Philips XL Airfryer and the highest temperature it goes is 390 degrees. So I cook it for 11 to 12 minutes on each side.

Nutrition Facts

Sabudana Vada – A No-Fry Version {Crispy-Spicy Sago Fritters}

Amount Per Serving

Calories 387 Calories from Fat 189

% Daily Value*

Fat 21g32%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Cholesterol 6mg2%

Sodium 1444mg63%

Potassium 535mg15%

Carbohydrates 43g14%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 9g18%

Vitamin A 167IU3%

Vitamin C 9mg11%

Calcium 113mg11%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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