Sabudana Vada Recipe (Deep Fry, Air Fryer, And Appe Pan Method)

Do you want to make sabudana vada but aren’t sure how to do it? Maybe you need a recipe for your appe pan, air fryer, or deep fryer and can’t find one? Or are you curious about sabudana vada and want to know more? Whatever your reason is, we have the answers for you! 

Finding out how to make sabudana vada can be tricky, especially if you have never made it before. 

You head online for some guidance but are met with page after page of conflicting and contradicting advice, leaving you overwhelmed and frustrated, unsure where to turn or who to trust.

For many people. This can be enough for them to pump the brakes and not make the recipe at all.

Well, that is where we come in to save the day! Keep reading to find out how to make sabudana vada and everything you need to know about it. 

We have three methods for you to check out, and the top tips on serving and storing sabudana vada are in our complete guide below. 

Why We Think You’ll Love This Sabudana Vada Recipe

There are a few reasons why you will love sabudana vada and our recipe today! Check out this brief list now! 

• It is perfect for festivals and fasting days (vrat)
• There is no garlic or onion 
• It is easy to make
• Sabudana  vada tastes fantastic! 
• It’s perfect for an evening snack
• The recipe is gluten-free and vegan! 

What You Need To Make Sabudana Vada 

To make sabudana vada, you will need the following ingredients., the quantities we have provided you with will serve 3, so you might need to adjust the quantities depending on how many sabudana vadas you want to make! 

• ½ cup sabudana (tapioca pearls or sago)
• 2 medium potatoes – boiled and mashed 
• ¼ cup of roasted peanuts – coarsely crushed 
• 2 green chilies – finely chopped 
• 1 teaspoon ginger (optional)
• ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds 
• 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch or rice flour (optional)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
• 2 tablespoons coriander leaves – finely chopped
• Oil 
• Salt to taste 

All of these ingredients can easily be found online or in-store. For your sabudana, you might need to head to an Indian grocery store, or you can purchase it online. 

How long your sabudana needs to be soaked for will vary depending on the quality of the sabudana that you buy.

Once you have your ingredients in hand, it’s time to start cooking! 

How To Make Sabudana Vada 

As we mentioned earlier, there are three methods you can use to make your sabudana vada. You can deep fry them, use your air fryer or an appe pan. 

Whichever method you choose, they all start with the same steps. Let’s take a look at these now before showing you the different ways you can fry them!

Step 1 – Prepare 

To start, rinse the sabudana twice and drain. You will then need to soak your sabudana in two cups of water. Leave to soak for two to four hours, depending on the quality of your sabudana. Some will need only two hours, whereas others will need anywhere from four to six hours! 

Your sabudana will double in size after soaking, indicating to you that it is ready to be used. You should be able to easily mash the sabudana with your fingers when it is ready, too. You need to make sure that your sabudana has soaked well, as an unsoaked sabudana can burst in oil! 

Step 2 – Roast Your Peanuts 

Next, you need to roast your peanuts. You should dry roast your peanuts on medium heat. Do so until you see brown spots before removing them from the heat to cool. 

You can also use an air fryer to roast your peanuts or store-bought roasted ones if you prefer. Using store-bought roasted peanuts will save you some time here. 

Once cool, grind your peanuts into a coarse powder. 

Step 3 – Boil Your Potatoes

Now it’s time to boil your potatoes. If you are using a stovetop pressure cooker, pressure cook your potatoes in water for two to three whistles. You can also use an Instant Pot pressure cooker to boil your potatoes. 

This can also be done on the manual or pressure cook mode for four to five minutes. Be sure to allow the natural pressure to release before removing your potatoes. 

Once your potatoes have boiled and the pressure released, drain the water. Peel the potato skins and mash well before setting aside. 

Step 4 – Make The Dough 

Add your soaked sabudana, mashed potatoes, peanut powder, cumin seeds, chilies, ginger, lemon juice, coriander leaves, cornstarch, and salt to a mixing bowl. Mix everything to create a stiff dough. It should not be sticky or soft. 

If your dough is smooth, you can add 1 or 2 tablespoons of cornflour. On fasting days, you can add kuttu ka atta instead.

Divide your dough into equal-sized balls; there should be eight to ten of them. Take some oil to grease your hands and flatten the vadas to make a patty shape. 

Set the patties aside. 

Step 5 – Cook 

Now it is time to cook your sabudana vadas! Below, you will find instructions for the three different methods we mentioned earlier. 

Option 1 – Deep Frying 

To deep fry your sabudana vadas, heat oil in a pan over medium to high heat. Once the oil is heated, add your vadas to it. Take care here, as the oil could spit and burn you. 

Fry your vadas on medium heat, flipping sides until both sides are golden brown. Drain any excess oil on a paper towel.

Serve hot with some green coriander chutney or tomato ketchup.

Option 2 – Air Fryer 

Preheat your air fryer to 395 degrees Fahrenheit. Add some oil to the air fryer basket to stop the vadas from sticking. You can use a spray oil or brush some oil on it if you prefer. 

Add your vadas to the basket of your air fryer in a single layer; take care not to have any overlapping, as this can impact how well they cook. Brush some oil on top of the vadas once they are in the basket.

Air fry for fifteen to eighteen minutes or until the vadas turn crispy and start to brown. While cooking, flip your vadas halfway through. You can spray some oil on top of them at this point, too. 

Once your vadas are golden brown and crispy, remove them from your air fryer and serve while hot! You should eat them straight away, as they can turn chewy if they are left out for too long. 

Option 3 – Appe Pan

Finally, you can use your appe pan, paniyaram, or aebleskiver pan for cooking your vadas. Heat your pan on medium to low heat with some oil added to each round section. 

Once the oil is heated, place one ball into each section and cook for two to three minutes over a medium to low flame. 

After three minutes, turn each ball over and add some more oil. Cover and cook for another three to four minutes until they are golden brown and crispy. 

Remove from the pan and serve with hot green chutney or some tomato ketchup.

How To Serve Sabudana Vada

Sabudana vada is best served hot! You should serve them immediately with some tomato ketchup, coriander chutney, or green chili chutney. Pair it with a cup of masala chai, and you have the perfect evening snack! 

If you are serving these vadas on fast or Navratri days, they can be served with sweetened yogurt or some Farali chutney. 

They make a wonderful snack, or you can serve them as a side dish with your evening meal or a large buffet-style lunch. 

Tips For the Best Sabudana Vada

Now that you know how to make sabudana vada, let us share our top tips with you! These tips will help you make the best sabudana vada possible. Let’s take a look at them now! 

Know Your Sabudana 

The quality of your sabudana impacts its soaking time, so it’s important to know what sabudana you have. Depending on the quality, it can take anywhere from two to four hours, or even six, for your sabudana to soak! 

If you are unsure how much time you need to allow your sabudana, check on the packaging or wait until it doubles in size.

Soak Your Sabudana Well 

Building on from our previous tip, you need to ensure that your sabudana soaks well. It should double in size, be easily mashed between your fingers, and be fluffy. If it is not, then leave your sabudana to soak for longer. 

If you do not soak your sabudana correctly, it can burst in the oil, leaving you with chewy and hard vadas! No one wants that, do they?

Drain Your Sabudana 

Once your sabudana has soaked, drain it well. You don’t want your sabudana to be soggy! Drain it with a fine mesh colander or sieve until all the water has been drained away. Any moisture that is left can make your vadas soggy, ruining their final texture! 

Add Flour 

We think it’s best to add two tablespoons of corn or rice flour to the vada mixture. The flour helps to bind the mixture and absorb any excess moisture, and it makes the vadas crispy when you fry them! 

During fasting, you can use buckwheat flour or rajgira. 

Oil Temperature 

You also need to make sure that the temperature of your oil is right. Your vadas should be fried on medium to high heat. Do not fry them on high heat as they will brown quickly but won’t be cooked inside, leaving you with undercooked vadas! 

Similarly, you should not fry them on low heat as it can cause the vadas to become oily or break.

Use An Oven 

Another option is to bake your sabudana vadas in an oven. Simply preheat your oven to 360 degrees Fahrenheit and bake your vadas for 25-30 minutes. 

How To Store Sabudana Vada 

Now, let’s take a look at the best ways you can store your sabudana vada! We have some tips here for storing and making your vadas ahead!

Make Ahead

You can soak your sabudana a day before you plan to make them. Once you have soaked and drained your sabudana, store them in the refrigerator. You can also prep your potatoes beforehand, boiling, peeling, and mashing them before leaving them in your refrigerator too. 

You can roast your peanuts ahead of time, too, crushing and de-skinning them. Doing all this the day before can speed up your cooking time and ensures that all your ingredients are ready to go. You don’t have to make them ahead if you don’t want to, but it can make the cooking process quicker, especially if you are short on time on the day you want to serve them!

Storing 

You can prep your vadas ahead of time, shape them, and store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook them. We recommend storing your prepped vadas in an airtight container in the refrigerator to keep them as fresh as possible. 

When you are ready to fry your vadas, remove them from the refrigerator and deep fry them!

Freezing Sabudana Vadas

You can also freeze your uncooked vadas. If, after a day or two, you decide you aren’t ready to make your vadas, add the uncooked vadas to an airtight and freezer-safe container. Spread them out so they are not touching; you don’t want them to all freeze together! Add to your freezer and freeze. 

The uncooked vadas can stay in your freezer for up to one month. They can then be removed, defrosted in your refrigerator or on your counter, and fried. Serve immediately. 

Variations Of Sabudana Vada 

There are some variations that you can try for these sabudana vadas, which you can check out below! Whether you want to mix it up with something different or add a variety of vadas to your table, we have a variation for you! 

Onion Sabudana Vadas

You can add some finely chopped onions to your vadas to add some extra flavor. Add the onions to your bowl with your other ingredients so you can mix them easily. 

Sweet Potato Sabudana Vada

Another variation is to swap your boiled potatoes for sweet potatoes. These will add a sweeter taste to your sabudana vadas, which might not be to everyone’s tastes! The boiling time is similar for sweet potatoes, although larger sweet potatoes can take a few minutes longer to soften. 

Their skins are also quite hard, so you might find it easier to peel them before boiling. 

Spicy Sabudana Vada 

Adding red chili powder will give you spicy sabudana vadas, which are perfect when you aren’t fasting! You can start by adding half a teaspoon and increasing the amount until you have reached your desired spice level. 

You can also increase the other spices in the recipe if you want to make them spicier, too. You can then serve your spicy sabudana vadas with a cooling mint raita to cool your mouth down! 

Final Thoughts 

And there you have it, the best recipe for sabudana vada! Whether you intend to use an appe pan, deep fryer, or air fryer, you can use our recipe to create these delicious and crunchy treats.

Make sure you take advantage of our tips and tricks to make the cooking process even easier and to store your sabudana vadas to keep them as fresh as possible! When making your tasty treats, why not try some of our variations too? They are sure to impress your friends and family! 

Frequently Asked Questions