Guilt free, healthier version of the popular snack- Sabudana Wada with Sweet Potato adds extra flavor and nutrition. Vrat or upaas special!
According to the Hindu calendar, it is Adhik Maas. Literally translated, adhik is extra and maas is month. This is a brilliant way devised in the Hindu calendar to sync the lunar and solar calendars so Adhik Maas appears every 32 months, 16 days and approximately 8 hours.
This is a month of fasting, praying, performing pujas or religious ceremonies and going on pilgrimages. Some people fast with no food at all for the entire day or half a day and some fast eating only certain foods that are ‘allowed’ to be eaten during fasts.
Foods made with small sized tapioca pearls called sabudana is one such food group. Sabudana wada is a popular snack that is eaten during fasts as well. Traditionally, it is made with soaked and drained sabudana or tapioca pearls, potatoes and peanuts and flavored with cumin seed and green chili peppers. The mixture is then made into ‘wadas’ and deep fried.
There are restaurants that are very popular for their sabudana wadas and even people like me who did not fast, flocked these places to eat the sabudana wadas.
In my quest to make them healthier and guilt free, I have made them in the aape or ebelskiver pan and replaced the potatoes with yams or sweet potatoes. We are hooked on the medium sized sweet potatoes available at Trader Joes in 2 or 3 pound bags. The yams lent a beautiful color and taste to the sabudana wadas and they were gone before I could take pictures! I had to make a second batch just to get some photos. They were a breeze to make and I wanted to eat more too…so it all worked out!
Sabudana Wada with Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients-
- 1 cup small sized tapioca pearls or sabudana
- 1 medium sweet potato/yam
- ½ cup crushed roasted peanuts
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin seed powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ ~ ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 ½ tablespoon tapioca starch
- Salt to taste
- Sliced green chili pepper or jalapeno, optional
- About 1 tablespoon oil
To make the Sabudana Wada with Sweet Potatoes-
- Rinse the sabudana/ tapioca pearls in several changes of water and drain all the water except about a tablespoon of it. Cover and let sabudana soak for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.
- Cook the sweet potato, peel and mash.
- In a bowl, combine all the soaked sabudana with the mashed sweet potato, crushed peanuts, cumin seed powder, cumin seeds, red chili powder, tapioca starch and salt.
- Divide into 14 and make balls. If desired add a sliced chili pepper or jalapeno.
- Heat the aape/ ebelskiver pan with a drop of oil in each indentation. Reduce heat to low. Add the sabudana wada balls, cover and let them cook for about 2 minutes. Turn, add another drop of oil to each indentation and cover and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sabudana wadas are crisp on the outside and cooked inside.
- Repeat with the next 7 wadas.
- Enjoy!
Have a great weekend all!
Love,
<3
Sandhya
Wow gorgeous!
Thanks so much Lynn!
most welcome
This looks and sounds yummy! Beautiful coloring.
Thanks so much!
Looks amazing!
Thanks so much Julie!
These look so tasty! I’ve never used tapioca pearls this way. Hope to try it soon. 🙂
Hope you like it as much as i do Ronit! Thanks for visiting.
Those look wonderful! 😀
Thanks so much Jenifer!
I have never tried sabudana vada. Looks great, Sandhya 😃
Thanks Arv, They are a very popular snack in Maharashtra. My version is not deep fried and I substituted sweet potato for the usual potato.
Some of us are a lot more conscious today about eating healthy but when I look at how people queue up outside shops selling deep-fried street food, I wonder if it’s a fad!
Keep innovating, Sandhya! 🙂
looks great !!
Thanks so much!
Are vadas cooked from inside when you do it in apple pan ?
Yes Shubhada. That is why the recipe specifically asks to cover the pan and for how long.
Lovely recipe
Thanks so much!
Such a stunner recipe, love the usage of sweet potatoes in sabudana wada❤
Thanks Jyo! I really liked the taste and the color of these wadas.
Looks so delicious . Wish can grab from screen itself. So yummn
Thanks Ruchi. We liked them so much, I had to make another batch for photos 🙂
Aww , I can understand. It looks superb in photography , so definately must be super tasty
Sandhya these sabudana vadas look so very delicious. Impossible to believe they are made in the appe appe patra. Next time in the sweet potato season will make these yummy beauties.
Thanks Archana! Hope you like them as much as I do.
Nice to see Sabudana Vada made with appe pan.. 👌
Thanks Ramya! I did not miss the deep fried taste.
Reblogged this on Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung – Aus und über Eslarn, sowie die bayerisch-tschechische Region!.
Thanks so much!
My pleasure! Great posting.Michael
LOVE sabudana vada and like you addition of sweet potatoes to it!
Thanks Archana! I really liked the taste of sweet potatoes in it. D give it a try.
How was the fb conference?
Yum! This looks so delicious! I’ve never tried Indian cuisine, but that is one of my must-trys!
It’s great to learn about Adhik Maas! This recipe sounds incredible. I love the thought of sweet potatoes with tapioca starch and all those lovely spices.
Such a wonderful use for sweet potatoes! These look delicious. I love those slices of chili pepper on top.
This sounds delicious!! I’d love to try it!
These look amazing. I doubt you could stop at just one. I am going to have to have a go at making these sabudana wadas.
I have never heard of this before, but I love anything with sweet potatoes and lots of spices.
Great idea to make the vadas with sweet potatoes and adding the jalapenos takes it to a next level. love this recipe!
Thanks Nisha!
Sabudana vada with sweet potato sounds so healthy and flavorful Sandhya..loved the idea of making them in paniyaram pan..such a lovely share for Adhik Maas !
Thanks so much Poonam!
Such inviting and addictive looking sabudana wada. Love that you made them in the appam pan instead of deep frying. They look awesome.
Thanks so much Pavani!
Pavani I liked your Sesame mushroom tofu and asparagus stir fry but could not comment on it on your blog.
Wow.. the wadas look so yummy and inviting. Love the clicks and presentation too.
Never made wada with sweet potato. These looks fabulous. Loved your click. I am drooling
Super tempting.
Delicious looking sabudana Vadas. This is a must dish for us whenever we are fasting. I make the potato ones in the appe pan. Love your recipe of using sweet potato.
Love the use of sweet potatoes making sabudana wada. And the use of appe pan is awesome.
Sabudana vada that too in appe pan is a great idea to make perfectly delicious wada with less oil. Thanks for sharing a great idea.
Thanks so much for your kind words!
First I love the Sabudana vada using with sweet potato sounds so yummy. Loved this oil free, guilt free and healthier version of Vada.
Definitely a guilt free snacks, sabudana vada with sweet potato sounds absolutley interesting. Feel like munching some with some spicy chutney.
Wow Sandhya – very impressive and love that they use sweet potato 🍠
Hi, recipe looks very good non fried version .one query is what is tapioca starch?
What a lovely recipe! Healthy, delicious and cute as a button! I love those chilli slices on top! 😋
I love sabudana wada, never tried making with sweet potato. Lovely share, making me hungry.
Sabudana vada with sweet potatoes in appe pan sounds super inviting. Would make a wonderful tea time snack.
Need to try these wada’s with sweet potatoes, The sweet and spicy flavors would be amazing! They look fabulous and tempting, Sandhya!
Addition of sweet potato is quite interesting !! The click is an awesome too 🙂
These look so gorgeous & delicious ! Love to try your version !!
Thanks Megala. Do let me know how you like them
It’s lunchtime here and I am seeing your post, think! Kya haal hai mera? These look super tempting and delicious!
Ha ha Jagruti! Thanks so much for your sweet words dear!
I love this recipe! I’ve also been trying to add more guilt free recipes. I can’t wait to try this out, probably next week. What a cool dish!
Thanks Antonia!
Sabudana vada with sweet potato sounds interesting. Such a innovative and healthy recipe sandhya.
Thanks so much Preethi!
This is such a brilliant recipe. the fibre content of the sweet potatoes, the familiarity of the vada and the comfort of minimal oil… You have outdone yourself. Simply love the recipe
Thanks so much Seema!
This is so cool. Replacing potatoes with sweet potatoes will surely make this more kid-friendly. Thanks for the recipe
Thanks so much Sophie for your sweet comment. Yes kids love these.
Thx! What can I use instead of tapioca starch?
Corn starch can also be used.
Guilt free, healthier version of Sabudana Wada with Sweet Potato is a wow recipe.
Vrat or upaas friendly recipes are always welcome as sometimes it gets boring eating same style food.
Thanks Lata! So true about eating the vrat ka food for a change in the menu!
Wow, low fat sabudana vada that too with sweet potato – that sounds both healthy and delicious. They look crispy and inviting. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thanks so much dear!
How wonderful to use sweet potato instead of the normal potatoes, Sandhya. Lovely tempting fasting food. I can’t remember the last time I fried sabudana wada as I too use the appe pan. A guilt free indulgence as they are not oily.
Thanks so much Mayuri. Yes and I don’t miss the deep fried flavor either.
Wonderful healthy recipe especially for fasting days.. I love the idea of using sweet potato in Sabudana Vada. Pics are tempting me to try these soon.
Thanks Swaty. Do let me know how you like it!
What a brilliant idea to use sweet potato in sabudana vada. The appe pan is a blessing as we don’t have to deep fry. We love sweet potato and the flavors would be perfect. And those jalapeno pepper peeking out makes me drool!
Thanks so much Sandhya!
I’m yet to try sabudana vada with sweet potatoes, it must lends sweeter taste to it am I right?
Yes Jagruti but the yams are not as sweet as our sweet potatoes/ ratalu so this is a savory sweet balance!
Hi, Only 1 tbsp of water to soak sabudana? I usually soak in more or just want to confirm
Jeena, I am sorry about the delay in replying. there was a problem with my site. 1 tablespoon of water worked for me but I know that sabudana packets differ.So if you use more water please do so. We want well soaked sabudana for the wadas to taste good.
Thanks for the clarification Sandhya. I didnt know there were different kinds of Sabudana. I tried with 1 tbsp first, but mine was still dry so i ended up adding more water to get it soaked.
Thats great Jeena! Hope you enjoyed the sabudana vadas. They are one of my favorites too.