Sabudana Vada

Ingredients

• 1 cup Sabudana / Tapioca Pearls
• 2 potatoes boiled and grated
• 1/2 cup Peanuts roasted and ground coarsely
• 1 tsp ginger grated
• 4 green and red chillies chopped finely
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp Rock Salt or to taste
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves chopped finely
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp ghee / clarified butter
• 3/4 cup water for soaking sabudana
• As needed oil for frying

Steps

1. Rinse sabudana 2-3 times.Pour 3/4 cup water and soak sabudana for 4 to 6 hours depending on the kind of sago pearls used. Once they are soaked, press few pearls between your thumb and forefinger. Press to check if they have softened. The pearls must get mashed well.Otherwise unsoaked Sabudana may burst in oil. Strain them completely to a colander and set aside.
2. Meanwhile roast peanuts until golden and aromatic.Peel off the outer skin and discard.Cool completely. Pulse them in a blender only once to get coarsely crushed peanuts.Set aside.Wash and peel potatoes. Boil them till just done or al dente and not mushy.Cool and grate them to avoid lumps.
3. Mix together sabudana, grated potato,coarsely ground peanuts,,grated ginger, rock salt,black pepper powder, finely chopped green and red chillies, and coriander leaves.Add lemon juice, 1 tsp ghee and mix well.If the dough turns sticky, grease your fingers lightly.Divide dough into 10-12 balls. Slightly flatten and give the shape of round patties.Make a hole in the centre with your finger so that the centre gets cooked well.
4. Heat oil in a kadai or wok.The oil should be hot enough on a medium flame. Slide the vadas to the hot oil in batches of 4. Deep fry them without touching them as they may break. When they firm up from one side, flip and fry the other side till golden brown and crispy on all sides.
5. Drain them.on a kitchen tissue to remove excess oil. Serve sabudana vada with curd, coconut peanut chutney or green chutney along with a cup of tea and relish.