1teaspoonGinger paste or freshly grated or crushed
2Green chilieschopped finely
rock Salt (Sendha namak)to taste
⅓cupPlain yogurt
2tablespoonsRajgira ka atta (Amaranth flour)
Oilfor deep frying pakora
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.
when you press between your fingers it should mash easily. That’s how you know that your sabudana is soaked perfectly.
Other Prep Work:
While sabudana is draining, dry roast peanuts in a pan on medium-low heat until they get light brown.
Let them cool down and then coarsely crush them using mortar and pestle or use food processor or grinder.
Take cloves and cinnamon and crush to make a fine powder using mortar and pestle.
Making Sabudana Pakoda:
Take drained sabudana in a large bowl. Add crushed peanuts, clove-cinnamon powder, rock salt, grated ginger, green chilies, cashew nuts and raisins. Mix well.
Add yogurt and rajgira atta. Mix well and make a thick batter kind of mixture.
Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat for deep frying. When it’s hot, drop a spoonful of batter using your fingers and thumb (or use two spoons).
Don’t touch them for a minute otherwise, they will break and fall apart in the oil which makes a big mess.
After 1-2 minutes, move them around to get even browning. Once browned and crispy from all the sides, remove it to a paper towel lined plate using a slotted spoon.
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 pakodas. 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 oil has to be hot enough. Otherwise, pakoda will break and disintegrate into the oil. Also, it may soak up too much oil.
Do not disturb them for a minute or so after adding pakoda into the hot oil. Let the outer surface cook and bind together. After a minute or so move and flip using a spatula. If you have touched them too soon then pakoda might break and fall apart into the oil.