Sabudana Vada (Air Fryer Recipe)

Deliciously Crunchy and Addictive Sabudana Vada or Sago Fritters is a popular snack recipe for fasting days. Enjoy the low oil, Air Fryer Version, this fasting season.

Today marks the beginning of Shravan month in Maharashtra and with that, begins the fasting and festival season too. When it comes to fasting recipes, Sabudana or Sago / Tapioca Pearls are most popular. So, here's presenting Sabudana Vada made in an Air Fryer.

Sabudana Vada are deep fried Sago Fritters made with soaked and fluffed sago pearls or tapioca pearls (gluten free ingredient), mixed with soft boiled potatoes, spicy green chillies, aromatic cilantro or coriander leaves and crunchy groundnuts.

During Shravan, most people fast on Mondays and Saturdays and consume Faraal or Fasting Foods. These Vadas not only make a great fasting snack but also an equally delicious tea time snack option. You can serve it with some ketchup and Coriander Chutney.

By the way, these Sabudana Vadas are not only consumed for Shravan but during other festive occasions like Mahashivratri, Ekadashi, Navratri too.

Sabudana Vada is generally served with a side of sweet curd and / or Coconut Chutney or even Green Coriander chutney (made especially for fasting without any garlic or onions).

You may like to see some popular Maharashtrian Fasting Recipes below

• Sabudanyachi Khichdi (Sago Pearls Stir Fried with chillies, groundnuts and potatoes)
• Rajgira Thalipeeth (gluten Free Amaranth Flour Flatbreads)

Most restaurants in Mumbai add a bit of sugar to the Sabudana Vada Mixture but I tend to avoid the same as we prefer it spicy with loads of ground nuts. The sweet curd on the side compliments the spicy vadas.

Sabudana Vada is traditionally deep fried Fritters but these days my motto is - Why Deep Fry? - When You can Air Fry? The test batch came out with flying colors with the husband (who is not a sabudana fan, by the way) making his rounds to the kitchen.

Of course, all good things (read guilt free, low oil snacks) come with a little patience. About 40 odd minutes later, we had a plate full of Sabudana Vada that did not require any deep frying, were crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and tasted super delicious!

A Mug of Lemon Grass Tea, plate full of Sabudana Vada, chutney on the side and Netflix summed up our weekend!

Tips to Air Fry Crunchy Sabudana Vada at home

• Preheat your Air Fryer for 10 minutes at 200 Degrees C.
• Brush the mesh with some oil before placing the vadas (to avoid sticking). No need to place any aluminum foil or parchment paper.
• Refrigerate the patties for 15 to 20 minutes before Air Frying for best results.
• Brush the patties lightly with oil after you flip / turn them and Air Fry again for crunchy texture on the outside.

Step by Step Recipe to Make Delicious Air Fryer Sabudana Vada

• Wash and Soak the Sabudana (up to 1/2 inch water) overnight. In the morning, the sago pearls would fluff up and turn soft. Do check out the Sabudana Khichdi Post for detailed tips on how to soak sabudana for perfect fluffiness.
• Pressure cook potatoes, peel the skin and mash them well.
• Coarsely grind the groundnuts and keep aside.
• In a bowl, add the sabudana, mashed potatoes, finely chopped green chillies, cumin seeds, groundnuts and coriander leaves along with salt to taste (I have used sendha namak or rock salt since it is a fasting recipe)
• Mix and mash the mixture lightly with hands. Shape them into round discs or Tikkis.
• Refrigerate for 15 minutes
• In the meanwhile, Preheat the Air Fryer for 10 minutes at 200 degrees C.
• Brush the Air Fryer mesh with Oil. Place 9 Vadas (as shown in the picture) and brush some oil over the vadas too.
• Air Fry the Sabudana Vada for 10 minutes at 200 Degrees C. Remove, flip the vadas, apply some oil and repeat the process for 10 to 15 minutes at 200 Degrees C until crisp.
• Repeat the process for all the remaining vadas.
• Serve piping hot with chutney, curd or ketchup.

Even though the step by step pics are helpful, there may be certain doubts or questions regarding the recipe, which I have tried to answer beforehand.

Can I Reheat the Sabudana Vada in Air Fryer?

Yes you can! I always save some and refrigerate. The next day, heat a couple of these for 5 odd minutes at a lower temperature, say 150 degrees C with a light brushing of oil.

How long do the Vadas remain crunchy?

Air Fryer snacks have to be consumed immediately for best results. Having said that, the trick here for the crunchy exterior is not adding too many potatoes.

Can I freeze the patties and Air Fry the next day?

Sure you can! Store it in a glass container with a lid or a zip lock bag - Your choice! Just thaw before you chuck it in the preheated Air Fryer.

What Else Can I add to the Sabudana Vada Mixture?

If you love spicy food and are not fasting, add some red chilli powder and it would taste amazing!

See you with an equally delicious recipe soon. Check out the recipe card with ingredients below.

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Vidya Narayan