I don’t like any Vada … whether made at home or in a restaurant. Particularly, the Sabudana vada is full of oil as Sabudana (tapioca pearls) soaks up a lot of oil. This vada also has another vegetable that I dislike, potatoes :). The funny thing is, Sabudana Khichadi is comfort food for me. I absolutely love it, but I would never eat the Vada.
When I got the Havells Air Oven, I joined a Air Fryer Recipes group on FB. I kept waiting for someone to post a Sabudana Vada recipe and someone did recently. I immediately tried making it and it was surprising how little oil was soaked by the Vada !! I used ghee, but sparingly and the Vadas still turned out to be soft inside and crispy outside.
Things to note :
- Each Oven and Air Fryer’s temperature settings is unique. For instance I Air Fried the Vadas at 185 deg C and for 15 minutes.
- If the whole mix doesn’t stick together, you might need a little more of the mashed potato to bind the mix.
- Ghee in place of oil tastes better and is healthier. Anyway, you just need a couple of spoons in the mix and probably a spoon of ghee to brush the Vadas.
Measurements that I used for the Sabudana Vadas –
Soaked Sabudana – 2/3 C; One large potato mashed; Two green chillies; 1/4 C roasted peanuts broken; juice of one lemon; small bunch of fresh coriander; 1 TSP Jeera and 1/2 TSP of Red chilli powder.
I made 7 Vadas out of this mix.
This is a great snack when made with less oil. Would not recommend the deep fried version :):) unless you are a young athlete who can work it all off.
Enjoy the healthier version of this popular and tasty snack. #GoVegetarian