No Fry Sabudana vada - Recipe Video

Try this delectable, no fry sabudana vada recipe with the same flavors and crispiness. Enjoy these low-fat, guilt-free sabudana vada with some cilantro chutney and a cup of chai! This recipe is vegan and gluten-free.

Sabudana vada, also known as "Sago vada", is a deep-fried snack from Maharashtra, India. It is made with tapioca pearls, mashed potatoes, and some spices, shaped into patties and deep fried. Sharing a no-fry sabudana vada recipe using Air Fryer, Air Fryer lid, appam pan, and oven baked.

 

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• RECIPE VIDEO - NO FRY SABUDANA VADA
• NO FRY SABUDANA VADA
• INGREDIENTS FOR NO FRY SABUDANA VADA 
• HOW TO MAKE NO FRY SABUDANA VADA
• HOW TO COOK NO FRY SABUDANA VADA
• TIPS FOR THE BEST NO FRY SABUDANA VADA 
• FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTONS
• No Fry Sabudana Vada

RECIPE VIDEO - NO FRY SABUDANA VADA

NO FRY SABUDANA VADA

Growing up in India, I remember, my mom used to make this sabudana vada quite often. Especially, during the festivals, these were a must. Flavorful, appetizing, and crowd pleaser. These melt-in-mouth sabudana vadas are crispy and crunchy from the outside and soft and fluffy from the inside. 

Traditionally, these sabudana vadas are deep-fried and as a kid, I used to devour these vada and I still do. But now I make this same vada in a little healthier way. Instead of deep frying these vada, I air fry them using an air fryer or using an Instant pot with air fryer lid. Now, how cool is that??

The result is outstanding!! Same crispy, crunchy texture, soft, melt-in-mouth, these vadas are sure a winner!! Well, like they say you eat with your eyes first, and yes, these air-fried vada brown up gorgeously, these are such an eye-pleaser!

Sharing my recipe for no fry sabudana vada using an air fryer lid using instant pot, air fryer, oven baked, and appam pan (Ebelskiver pan). Make these vada in a fraction of oil, and devour these healthy, no-fry sabudana vada with your family and friends.

Pic Shown: No Fry Sabudana Vada

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS FOR NO FRY SABUDANA VADA 

1 cup sabudana or sago (tapioca pearls)

3-4 medium-sized potatoes

¾ cup raw peanuts

1-2 green chili, chopped, adjust to taste

½ inch ginger, chopped or grated

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

A handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon pink salt

1-2 tablespoons Cooking oil, as needed

salt to taste

HOW TO MAKE NO FRY SABUDANA VADA

Follow my easy step-by-step recipe to make this no fry sabudana vada.

PREP FOR NO FRY SABUDANA VADA

Rinse sabudana or tapioca pearls for 1-2 minutes or until water runs clear. Soak the sabudana in 2 cups of water. For every cup of sabudana, I use two cups of water for soaking. Soak the sabudana for 2-3 hours or until it is almost double in size. Depending upon the quality of the sabudana, soaking time may vary.

After 2-3 hours, check the sabudana, it will be almost double in size. You can check if the sabudana is ready to use, by pressing one of the sabudana between your fingers. The sabudana will be soft and mashes easily. If you feel the sabudana is hard in the center, allow it to soak for a few more hours. If required add some more water, and allow it to soak a little longer.

Using a strainer, drain all the excess water from the sabudana. This is important, please do not skip this step. Excess water will make it hard to shape the vada or patties.

PREP FOR NO FRY SABUDANA VADA [CONTINUED]

Boil, peel, and mash the potatoes to a smooth consistency. I use a potato masher and mash the potatoes. You can boil potatoes in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot

Dry roast the peanuts on medium to low heat, until you see some charred spots on the peanuts. Dry roasting brings out the flavors and peanuts get nice and crunchy.

Transfer the peanuts onto a clean kitchen towel and let it cool completely. Remove the husk from the peanuts. 

Using a mortar and a pastel, or a rolling pin, slightly crush the peanuts. I prefer coarse peanuts, give a nice crunch to the vada. 

In the same pan, dry roast some cumin seeds, cool, and slightly crush the seeds using a mortar and pestle.

Chop some green chili, ginger, and fresh cilantro. Now, we are ready to make the dough for the sabudana vada.

PREPARE DOUGH FOR SABUDANA VADA

In a mixing bowl, add soaked, and well-drained sabudana or tapioca pearls. Add mashed potatoes, roasted and crushed peanuts, roasted and crushed cumin seeds, green chili, ginger, fresh chopped cilantro, some freshly squeezed lemon juice, pink salt, and salt to taste. Mix everything to foam a semi-soft dough. 

HOW TO SHAPE SABUDANA VADA

Grease your hands with some oil. Take a small portion of the dough and shape it into round patties or a lemon size ball. Keep it aside. Repeat the process until the dough is remaining. Grease your palms with some cooking oil as needed to prevent the mixture from sticking onto your hands.

Pic Shown: Step-by-step making of Sabudana Vada

 

 

HOW TO COOK NO FRY SABUDANA VADA

Sharing 3 different ways to cook no-fry sabudana vada without compromising on the flavor and texture. Step-by-step process using air fryer, air fryer lid using Instant pot and oven baked method. Feel free to chose method that best suits you, and follow the recipe. 

APPAM PAN SABUDANA VADA

You will need appam pan [Ebelskiver Pan or appe pan]

Heat the appam pan (ebelskiver pan) on a medium heat. Using a pastry brush, lightly grease each cavity with some cooking oil. Place the prepared vada ball in each cavity. Cover the appam pan and cook for 5-8 minutes or until the bottom of the vada turns brown and crispy.

After a few minutes, using a spoon or a fork, gently flip the vada (bottom side up). Brush the top of the vada with some oil. Cover and cook until the vada is browned from all sides, around 4-5 minutes.

Pic Shown: No Fry Sabudana Vada using appam pan 

 

 

Remove the vada on a serving plate and enjoy hot sabudana vada with some ketchup or some green chutney!

Pic Shown: Air Fryer Sabudana vada

 

 

AIR FRYER LID NO FRY SABUDANA VADA

You will need an Instant Pot and an air fryer lid. I used an Air Fryer lid for this recipe. You can use an air fryer or air fryer lid for this recipe.

IMPORTANT: Completely UNPLUG the Instant Pot unit, before proceeding with this recipe.

Using a pastry brush, grease the crispy basket with some cooking oil. Place the vada or patties in the crispy basket. Using a pastry brush, apply some oil on top of the vada or patties. You can place around 7 vada or patties.

Place the trivet (that comes with air fryer lid) inside the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Place the crispy basket on top of the trivet. Now place the air fryer lid on top of the inner pot. Plug the air fryer lid and lower the handle.

Air fry these vada or patties at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 18-20 minutes, turning halfway through.

After 10 minutes, open the air fryer lid and using a fork gently flip the vada or patties, apply some oil on top, and air fry for another 8-9 minutes. After 8 minutes, check if the vada is done. If required add a few more minutes of cooking time in increments of 1 minute. 

Remove the vada on a serving plate and enjoy these vada with some green chutney or ketchup. This recipe yields around 20-22 vada or patties. Enjoy these vada with some ketchup or some green chutney.

Pic Shown: Air Fryer Lid No Fry Sabudana vada

 

 

AIR FRYER SABUDANA VADA

Follow the same recipe as discussed for Instant Pot. Air fry the vada at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 18-20 minutes, turning halfway through. The rest of the recipe is the same as air fryer lid. Please use timing as a guideline, cooking time may vary with different types of the air fryer.

OVEN BAKED SABUDANA VADA

You will need 9*13 inches baking sheet,  parchment paper

I love this oven-baked sabudana vada, especially when I am cooking big. This method comes in so handy, all I do is shape the vada, and cook them in the oven. Not only does it saves me a ton of time but is also a healthy alternative to the deep-fried version.

Line 9*13 inches baking tray with some parchment paper. Place the vada or patties on the parchment paper. Using a pastry brush, apply some oil on top of the vada or patties.

Preheat the oven to 425 degree Fahrenheit. Bake these patties for 40-50 minutes, turning halfway through. 

After 25 minutes, gently flip the patties using a spatula. With the help of the pastry brush, apply some oil on top of the patties, and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until light golden in color and crisp.

You can fit around 12-14 patties on the baking tray. This recipe makes around 20-22 vada or patties.

Note: Please use timing as a guideline. Different oven temperature settings work differently. Adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Pic Shown: Air Fryer Sabudana Vada

 

 

TIPS FOR THE BEST NO FRY SABUDANA VADA 

Soaking the sabudana (tapioca pearls) well is a key to making these crispy, crunchy patties. Soak the sabudana until it can be mashed easily between the two fingers.

Soak sabudana in double the quantity of water. That is for 1 cup of sabudana, use 2 cups of water for soaking.

Depending upon the quality of the sabudana, the soaking time may vary. For me, it took around 3 hours for the sabudana to double in size. If required, soak the sabudana for a few more hours or until doubles in size.

If the sabudana is not soft and all the water has been absorbed, add some more water and soak the sabudana for a few more hours.

Drain the water completely from the sabudana. I use a fine mesh sieve or a colander to drain the water completely. If sabudana is not drained properly, the mixture turns soggy, sticky and it's hard to shape the patties.

I use the unsalted raw peanuts, and dry roast the peanuts on low to medium heat, until slightly charred. However, you can also use roasted peanuts in this recipe.

Nuts of choice, such as cashews, almonds, and raisins may also be used for an additional flavor.

If the vada mixture, seems too dry, or unable to shape the patties, then add some more mashed potatoes. The moisture in the potatoes will help bind the dough.

Pic Shown: Air Fryer Sabudana Vada

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTONS

HOW TO REHEAT THE SABUDANA VADA

Instant Pot crisplid / Air fryer - reheat at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 1-2 minutes.

Microwave - reheat for 30-60 seconds

HOW TO STORE SABUDANA VADA

Sabudana vada stays fresh for 3-5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat the vada before serving.

You can freeze the vada for up to a month. Defrost and reheat the vada before serving. 

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