Before You Start
Sago, potato and peanuts are all accepted on many fasting days, so sabudana vada has become a signature of vrat, the religious fasts in parts of India during which grains, lentils and some other staples are avoided. It is just as popular outside that context, where people enjoy the way the crisp fried crust gives way to a soft, slightly chewy, glossy centre. Nearly everything hinges on soaking the sago correctly, a stage at which many first-time cooks stumble, and it deserves more care than any other part of the recipe.
Where It Comes From
Maharashtra is where sabudana vada has its firmest hold, as an everyday item in fasting-day menus around festivals and weekly observances, and as a snack liked at home and at street stalls whether or not anyone is fasting. Sago is made from the tapioca (cassava) root, which is not native to India and arrived, in culinary-historical terms, quite late, spreading through Indian cooking from roughly the late 19th and early 20th centuries. That it now sits at the centre of fasting food illustrates how Indian cooking has kept folding new ingredients into established religious and dietary customs without staying static.
How to Make It
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Prep
Rinse and soak the sago carefully
Rinse the pearls under a running tap until the water runs nearly clear to wash away loose starch. Drain thoroughly and add water only up to the level of the pearls, no higher, as sago swells by absorbing water and is not meant to be boiled or simmered. Let it stand between 4 hours and overnight, until the pearls are soft and translucent and one crushed between two fingers flattens with no hard core.
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Prep
Let every drop of water drain away
Put the soaked sago in a fine mesh strainer and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes, shaking it from time to time, to shed as much water as possible. It matters more than it appears to: wet sago produces a mixture too tacky to form and too soft to fry properly.
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Prep
Combine the vada mixture
In a bowl, mix the drained sago with the mashed potato, crushed peanuts, green chilli, ginger, coriander, lemon juice, cumin seeds and salt, working it by hand until it clings together when pressed. If it is still too damp to form, a spoonful or two of coarsely ground roasted peanuts will bind it, or a pinch of rice flour, although rice flour is a grain and would not suit a strict fast.
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Assemble
Form flat rounds
With slightly wet palms, press the mixture into small discs, a little flattened and about 2 inches wide. Flat pieces cook more evenly than thick balls, and here that counts, since this mixture does not conduct heat like a fritter coated in batter.
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Cook
Fry to a deep golden colour
Bring the oil to between 170 and 180°C (340 to 350°F) and slide the vada in a few at a time. Fry about 4 to 5 minutes, flipping them once, until they are a deep golden brown and crunchy outside. Because the centre is already potato and softened sago, the frying exists to build a crust and warm everything through, and is not meant to cook anything raw.
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Serve
Drain and eat while hot
Move the vada to a wire rack and serve while hot. A bowl of lightly sweetened and salted yogurt or a peanut chutney is the customary partner, and both are commonly eaten on fasting days.
Swaps That Work
When cooking for a particular fasting practice, check which salt and which oil are acceptable, since rock salt (sendha namak) is traditionally used instead of ordinary iodised salt and rules about oil differ between individuals and regions. Outside fasting, regular salt and any neutral frying oil are perfectly fine.
Turning the Heat Up or Down
All of the heat in this recipe comes from the green chilli. Cut it back for a gentler vada or add more for extra bite. The remaining ingredients are starchy and mild, so the chilli has an outsized influence on the flavour; adjust it in small steps and taste a pinch of the mixture before forming the discs.
Where Cooks Go Wrong
Sago that was soaked too briefly, or drowned in excess water, is the main cause of trouble: the pearls keep a hard, undissolved core that stays chalky even after frying, so press one to test before moving on. A mix that is too wet to hold its shape, usually from sago that was not drained enough, breaks apart in the hot oil. Frying at too low a temperature is a third problem, since the vada drink oil and turn greasy and do not form a crisp shell quickly.
Keeping and Warming Up Leftovers
To keep: The soaked sago and mashed potato can be mixed and kept in the refrigerator for some hours before you shape and fry, though it is best used on the same day, as the texture can turn gummy with longer waiting. Fried vada last for 2 days in the refrigerator, but they are best eaten fresh.
To warm up: To crisp them again, heat in an oven or air fryer at 180°C (350°F) for 6 to 8 minutes. The microwave warms them but leaves the vada limp and somewhat sticky.
Safe Handling
Handle the mashed potato as you would any other cooked potato dish: if you are preparing ahead, cool it quickly and refrigerate it, and do not leave it sitting at room temperature. As in all deep-frying, keep the oil at an even temperature, never leave hot oil alone, and stop reusing it once it darkens or smokes at a temperature below that of fresh oil.