Sabudana Wada/ Tapioca pearls fritters
I have practically stopped deep frying foods ever since I have cracked some amazing recipes in the oven like the Onion Rings, Manchurian etc. But I have decided to relax the rule of avoiding deep fried foods a bit during the monsoons. Also, when would my son learn about these goodies. Enough of the reasons and straight to the recipe for the day – sabudana wada. There are quite a few eateries in Mumbai which specialize in these wadas – the most famous of all is Aswad , Dadar. Though I enjoy it there and many other places, I like it the most when my mother makes it. Her version is not the best to meet the standards of purists who would say, the sabudana has to be fluffy but not sticky, wada needs to be round and crispy from outside but when broken up the pearls should simply scatter apart. Hers is sticky and stretchy, all pearls are well bound by the mashed potato in it yet it taste's the most delicious. She makes a special chutney to go along with it which is curd based. I will post that recipe some other day.
For now try this version.
Ingredients
2 cups tapioca pearls/ sabudana
3-4 medium sized potatoes
½ cup roasted and roughly crushed peanuts
2 -3 tspn crushed green chillies
1 tspn crushed cumin seeds
Salt to taste
Method
1) Soak the sabudana with just enough water (not to soak under water). Wash them in a
bowl and then drain off the water about 90%. Cover and keep aside. Minimum 4-5 hours.
2) Boil the potatoes until they are well cooked. Peel and mash them.
3) Crush the roasted peanuts roughly so that part of it is powdered and other part is roughly
chopped and crunchy.
4) Now in a large basin, add the sabudana, potatoes, peanuts, salt, green chillies and cumin
seeds
5) Mash it well with your hands and mix together to form a sticky dough.
6) Lightly grease your palms, now make small flat balls (like tikki) and set aside. Ensure there are no open pockets else the balls will burst in the oil.
7) Heat oil in a large wok. Once the oil has reached smoking point, reduce the flame and keep it at medium.
8) Start dropping the balls 2-3 at a time in the medium hot oil. Stay away from the wok
9) If the sabudana starts popping up, then knead the remaining ones more and ensure they are well bound
10) Fry them till they are nice and crispy and golden in color.
TIP: Some recipes suggest adding lime juice to the dough but that tends to split open when put in hot oil. I'd rather use lime in the chutney
Serve hot with curd or green coconut chutney( non garlic if fasting).
Comments
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Only now can they enjoy it. Vada looks crispy and super tempting!
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