Swetha's Fusion

Sabudana Vada in Airfryer [Tapioca pearls fritters]

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Here is the Air-fried version of the Sabudana Vada, which is traditionally deep-fried fritters. I found no difference in taste between Air-fried and deep-fried. In fact, I felt air-fried vada taste better or may be because it has very little oil. All of sudden fritters became healthy snack ;)
Check out other Sabudana/Sago/Tapioca Pearls recipes.

Ingredients:

1 cup - Sabakki/Sago/Tapioca Pearls
1 big - Boiled Potato
1 tsp - Jeera/Cumin seeds
1/3 cup - Dry roasted Peanuts powder (coarsely powdered)
1 tsp - Ginger paste
2 tsp - Green Chilli minced paste
1 tsp - Lemon juice
1/4 tsp - Sugar
1/2 cup - Coriander leaves - finely chopped
1/4 cup - dill leaves (optional) - finely chopped
1 tsp - oil
Salt - as per taste

Method:

Rinse sago well with water and soak sago overnight or for at least 5 hrs with enough water just to immerse it well. Drain the Sago in a strainer and set aside sago in the strainer on a stand or a bowl to let rest of the water drain.
Dry roast peanuts till the skin splutters.
Discard the skin and grind the peanuts to a coarse powder. (I make extra and save the powder in a air-tight jar for next time or for Sabbakki uppittu/Sago Khichdi)
In a blender I combine ginger and chili to make paste, rather preparing it separately.
In a mixing bowl - add sago,peanut powder,mashed potato, jeera, ginger/green chili paste, lime juice, sugar, coriander leaves (dill leaves,) oil and salt as per taste.

Mix all together, it should form into a ball easily when pressed into one, If needed sprinkle little water if it dry or add little rice flour if the mixture is watery.

Apply oil on your palm so that the mixture wont stick to your hands. Press the mixture into lemon sized ball and press slightly flat in between center of your palms to shape into vada. Keep aside on a plate. Work with rest of the mixture to make all the vada ready.

Place the shaped vada in the air-fryer basket. you may line it with parchment paper if you wish. I use a 2-tier wire rack. I brush the rack with oil and place the vada on them. Using 2-tier rack allows me to make about 18 vada at a time. Which helps save time and electricity.

Brush or spray the vada(s) with oil. place the rake (or basket) in the air-fryer.
Air-fry for 13 minutes on 395F (200C).

After about 13 minutes, brush/spray oil on the top, now flip the vada over and brush/spray oil on the other side of the vada. Since I use 2-tier rack, I even switch the vada between top and bottom rack for even cooking and roasting. Airfry for 8 - 10 minutes more, or until done.
Serve hot with green chutney or tomato sauce.