Sabudana vada

Sabudana vada

Origin
Alternative name(s)	Sago vada
Place of origin	India
Region or state	Maharashtra

Sabudana vada also called 'sago vada', is a traditional deep fried snack from Maharashtra, India. It is often served with spicy green chutney and along with hot chai and is best eaten fresh. In other parts of the country, Sabudana vada are the best option to have when fasting. Therefore, this filling and nutritious snack is served usually during religious festivals and during fast/vrat/upvaas especially in Navratri vrats. Like all vadas, these are best eaten fresh. Sabudana vadas are crunchy and simply melt in the mouth leaving the stomach full and the tongue craving for more.

Methods of preparation are simple, but time consuming, as the main ingredients used in preparation of Sabudana vada require some processing. For example, sabudana (sago), the main constituent of vada, need to be soaked overnight; potatoes need to be boiled, peeled and then mashed; and peanuts need to be roasted and ground to a coarse powder after removing their husks. Additional ingredients of Sabudana Vada include: Red chili, Green chilies and Coriander leaves (finely chopped), salt and vegetable oil (for deep frying).

Recipe

1. Soak sabudana overnight in a little water, just enough to cover the sabudana. Drain any excess water from the sabudana.

2. Take roasted peanuts and remove the husk. Grind the peanuts to a coarse powder, and add it to the sabudana. Add mashed potato along with red chilli powder, salt, green chillies & coriander (Finally chopped), and mix well.

3. Make small balls with this mixture (a little smaller than a golf ball), flatten them a bit, and set aside.

4. Fry these flattened pieces in the smoky hot oil, until they turn golden brown. The sabudana vadas are ready now.

5. Serve the sabudana vadas plain or with ketchup, and a hot cup of tea or coffee.

Enjoying

During the monsoon season, it is popular to eat bhajias/pakoras (fried snack) with a cup of adrak chai (ginger tea). One such monsoon special crispy fried preparation is sabudana vada. Although it is deep fried, it is sumptuous and light. It is also eaten on days of fasting in Maharashtra for e.g., Chaturthi etc.