Easy to make sabudana tikki - Crispy from the outside and soft, melt-in-your-mouth kind from the inside. The best when served with a side dipping sauce - farali chutney.
3tablespoonsCilantro or coriander leavesfinely chopped
2Green chilichopped finely
¼teaspoonBlack pepper powderto taste
Rock salt (sendha namak)to taste
1teaspoonSugar
1tablespoonLemon juice
2-3tablespoonsOilfor shallow frying tikkis
Instructions
Soaking Sabudana:
Take sabudana in a colander and wash under running cold water till water runs clear. Make sure to get rid of all the starch otherwise, the vada mixture will become sticky.
Then soak in the water for 3-4 hours or overnight (depending on the type of your sabudana). The one we get here in the USA always requires overnight soaking.
Transfer them into the colander, rest for 15-20 minutes and let the excess water drain out. You must get rid of most of the moisture otherwise, the vada mixture will become loose and sticky.
when you press between your fingers it should mash easily. That’s how you know that your sabudana is soaked perfectly.
Making Sabudana Tikki:
Take all the ingredients (except oil) in a bowl.
Mix everything very well. You should be able to form tikki. If the mixture looks loose, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of rajgira atta or singhare ka atta.
Grease your hand with oil and start shaping the tikkis. Arrange them in a single layer on the plate. After forming 4-5 tikkis, the mixture may start to stick to your hand. So wash your hands, again grease it and shape it.
Now heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot place the tikkis. Flip them once the bottom side is a nice golden brown and crispy.
Once cooked another side as well, remove them on the paper towel lined plate. Serve the sabudana tikki hot or warm. As it cools, it starts to become soft and will lose its crispness.
Notes
Wash the sabudana to remove starch. For this step use a colander and get rid of all the starch by rubbing the pearls while washing. I would avoid the rinsing method.
Sabudana must be soaked well. When you press between your finger and thumb, it should mash easily. If it is not soaked properly then it will stay hard, chewy even after frying the tikkis. And you will feel it while biting meaning raw tapioca pearls will stick to your teeth
The amount of water to soak sabudana: Always follow 1:1 ratio for sabudana:water. Or use another method - add just enough water that sabudana are submerged into the water (About ½ - 1 inch above the pearls).
The moisture content: Sabudana should be drained very well. There should not be any moisture in it. If water is present in the sabudana then the tikki mixture will become sticky and you’ll be unable to shape. So let it drain for good 15-20 minutes.
By any chance or mistake, if the mixture becomes soft and sticky. You can mix a couple of tablespoons flour (any vrat atta - rajgira~amaranth, singhara~water chestnut or kuttu~buckwheat flour). This flour will absorb the extra moisture. If making on regular days, then you can add rice flour.