Ingredients
Sabudana/ tapioca pearls ½ cup
Potatoes 2 medium sizes cube 1 cup
Peanuts ¼ cup
Coriander leaves chopped 1 tbsp
Green chilies 1-2 finely chopped as per taste
Salt to taste
Lemon juice 1 ½ tsp/ as per taste
Kuttu ka atta 1 ½ tbsp
Grated ginger 1 tsp ( optional)
Soak sabudana
Add ½ cup sabudana to a wide bowl or rinse them well twice.
Then pour ½ cup water and soak sabudana for 4-6 hours depending on the kind. Or can be soaked overnight too.
Once they’re soaked, take a few pearls in between your thumb and forefinger.
Press down to check if they’ve softened. The pearls must get mashed well.
Make sure the’re soaked well and softened otherwise unsoaked sabudana may brst in oil.
You can also bite and check. It should not be hard from inside. If you feel they’re heard, soak them a little longer.
Drain them completely in a colander and set aside.
Preparations
Roast the peanuts until aromatic. Cool completely.
Pulse them in a blender only once to get coarsely crushed peanuts. Keep aside.
Wash and peel potatoes, boil them till just done and not too mushy or soggy.
Mash them. If the potatoes are mushy, then the vadas may break. So cook them just al dente.
Mix together sabudana, mashed potatoes, peanuts, green chili, ginger, salt, jeera & coriander leaves. Add lemon juice and mix well.
If the dough turns sticky, then just grease your fingers lightly.
Mixing well helps in binding the dough well and pevents the sabudana vada from breaking while frying.
How to make Sabudana Vada
Make 10-12 balls and then slightly flatten to make patties/ vada.
Do not make them too thin as they may break. Making them too thick will not cook them from inside.
Heat oil in a kadai until hot enough on a medium flame.
Drop a small portion of the dough to check if the oil is hot enough. The dough has to rise without browning quickly.
Next take 1 tsp of the mixture in your hand and roll it to a small vada.
Side it to the hot oil to check if it doesn’t disintegrate.
If the ball breaks, then add 1 tbsp of flour to the mixture, and mix well. Then shape them to vadas.
Slide the sabudana vada in hot ol, one after another. Do not crowd them all at one time. Slide 2-3 depending on the size of your pan.
After adding the vadas. Let them deep fry on a medium for a few minutes. Do not disturb or touch them as they may break. When they form up and becomes slightly golden, flip to the other side, fry until golden and crisp.
The vadas will puff well and turn golden and crisp in the outside.
Drain them on a kitchen tissue or colander. Serve it hot with green chutney.
Air Fryer method
Shape the vada mixture not very thin nor too thick patties.
Place them in the air fryer basket/ air fry 2 180 C/ 360 F for 14-16 minutes or until crisp and golden. Adjust the timing depending on your air fryer.
Brush them with ghee as soon as they’re out of the air fryer.
Bake in oven
Place them on a prepared tray with parchment paper and preheat your oven for at least 15 minutes. Bake @ 390 F 190 C for 30-35 minutes or longer till crisp.