Sabudana Vada (Sago Patties)

          Sabudana vada is a popular and traditional snack from Maharashtra, India. Sago or Sabudana is a common ingredient that is used in some recipes made during the fast and recipes like Sabudana Khichdi, Sabudana Vada, Sabudana Kheer are made. Sabudana kichidi and vada are most common dishes made during fasting time. It is very easy to make with very little preparation.

          Here it’s getting cold & chilli in the evenings and what more could be better than hot and crispy fried snack and garam chai( hot tea).Fried dumplings of sabudana, potatoes, green chilies serve with tomato sauce...

Ingredients ~

Sabudana/ Sago : 1 cup
Potatoes : 3 – 4
Onion : 2, medium, finely chopped
Green chillies : 1-2, finely chopped
Ginger : 1 tsp, finely chopped
Lime juice (optional) : 2 tsp
Coriander leaves : 2 tsp
Salt to taste
oil for frying

Method ~

Wash sabudana and soak it in 2 cups of water for 2-3 hours, drain the water and keep aside.

In a big bowl mix all the ingredients together to make soft dough.

Divide the sabudana dough into 10 parts.

Lightly grease palms and roll each one into lemon sized balls, flatten between palms of your hands. 

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium high heat.


Gently slide the sabudana vada into the hot oil.


Fry sabudana vada until golden brown, turning them occasionally.
Remove sabudana vada drain on paper napkin.


Serve hot with Tomato sauce & Enjoy.........

Tips #

The Sabudana/Sago has to be really soaked well. Not even a little hardness should be left in the sago.I used small size sabudana if you used big size sabudana then it soaked for 6 hours.

The water needs to be drained well. Use a seive or a colander to drain the water. The sabudana vada mixture is dry.

If there is moisture in the mixture, then you won’t get a proper shape of the sabudana vadas and they will become soggy from inside.
The oil has to be neither too hot nor warm. If its hot, the vadas will burn from outside leaving the inside portion uncooked. If warm, the vadas will absorb oil, making the vadas loaded with oil. 

Sending this to Pari's ""Only" Snacks And Starters" event guest host by Raji

Spicy Samosa

The 'KING' of indian street food...hot yummy samosas are the first thing that comes to mind when you think of indian appetizers. Samosas are perhaps the most popular vegetarian Indian appetizer, snacks. Samosas are available in most places in the world as little triangle pastries filled with a variety of fillings but only a few places make them the traditional Indian style. They can be made of vegetarian or non-vegetarian fillings.  They are eaten as a snack with a cup of tea, served as a starter at some meal. It is often served hot with a mint, tomato or tamarind chutney.

Ingredients :

For the dough :

Flour (Maida) : 2 cups
Refine Oil : 2 tbsp
Salt : 1/2 tsp
Baking Powder : a pinch
Warm water as needed

For Stuffing:

Potatoes : 3, medium
Cauliflower Florets : 1 cup, cut into small size
Peas : 1/2 cup
Peanuts : 1/2 cup
Onion : 1, medium, finely chopped
Ginger : 1 tbsp, grated
Garlic : 1 tbsp, grated
Green chilli : 1-2, finely chopped
Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 3/4th tsp.
Roasted Cumin-corinder powder : 1 tsp.
Garam masala powder : 1/2 tsp.
Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp.
Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Preparation :

Dough for samosa ~

Mix flour, salt, baking powder in a bowl.

Now add refine oil and rub until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Slowly add water and knead the dough until it is smooth.Cover it and set aside for 30 minutes or longer. 

Stuffing for samosa ~

Pressure cook potato. Peel the skin of the potato and chop it roughly.

Heat oil in a pan, fry cauliflower florets with a pinch of turmeric powder and salt. When florets half done then add peanuts and saute for 5 mins in low flame. Keep aside.

In the same oil season with cumin seeds, add chopped onion, stir fry until golden brown in medium heat.

Now add peas, ginger, garlic, green chili, cooked potato, fried cauliflower, salt and all spice, mix and cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes. Do not forget to stir while cooking. 

Making Samosa ~

Now again give a gentle knead to the dough and divide into medium sized balls.

Roll your dough a big circle and cut in 2 equal parts with knife.

Then take half in your hand and make a cone shape.

Fill the cone with about 2.5 tablespoons of the aloo gobi masala.

Stick the top of the cone together with a little water.Close the cone and seal it properly. Repeat until you finish making all the samosas.

Cooking Samosa ~

Heat about 2 inches of oil for deep frying over a medium-low flame. (You may use a wok, Indian kadhai).

When the oil is hot, carefully put in as many samosas as it fits. Fry slowly, turning the samosas until they are golden brown and crispy. Drain excess oil in paper towels.

Enjoy these Spicy Hot samosas with either green chutney or tomato sauce!  

Sending this to Anusha's "Cumin (Jeera) SYF &HWS Series" event, Vardhini's "Healing Foods - Cauliflower " event and Indrani's "SPOTLIGHT: Winter Vegetables" event

Vegetable Stuffed Bread Pakora

Bread Pakora is a favorite breakfast and tea time snack at our home. Everyone loves it and I often make it when its dark, dull, cold and pouring outside. Its a great snack to have during rains and winter also. The stuffed bread pakora is stuffed with a filling of mashed potatoes and boiled vegetables, dipped in besan and deep fried.

Ingredients:

Potatoes ~ 2, medium sized
Carrot ~ 1, medium
French Beans ~ 4-5
Handful of shelled peas (Fresh or frozen, both will do)
Salt as per taste
Green chillies ~ 1-2(Adjust your requirement)
Turmeric powder ~ 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder ~ 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder ~ 1/4 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste ~ 1 tsp(or paste of it..about 4 garlic cloves and 1 inch piece of Ginger)
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing
Bread ~6 pieces(Brown or white both will do)
Oil ~ 1 tsp. to saute the vegetables
Oil for frying

Besan Batter :

Besan (Gram flour) : 1/2 cup
Red chili powder ~ 1/4 tsp
Amchoor powder ~ 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder ~ 1/8 tsp
Salt to taste

Procedure:

Boil /pressure cook the potatoes . Shell the peas, peel and chop the carrot into tiny pieces. Chop the french beans too.

If using fresh peas, add these to boiling water in a pan , after few seconds, add carrot and french beans pieces too. Cook till peas are soft.If using frozen peas, then first cook carrot and French beans and add frozen peas just before switching off the gas. Drain and set aside..

Now peel the potatoes and chop or mash them . Add the boiled veggies and keep aside.

In a pan or Kadai, temper the mustard seeds and when they start popping then add ginger-garlic paste, saute till change in colour, add all the dry masalas, salt, green chillies and give it a stir for a while.

Add potatoes and vegetables and salt and give it a nice mix.

Finally, put off the gas, add chopped coriander leaves. Let the stuffing cool down a bit.

Make the besan batter, by adding all the powders listed with besan and add a cup of water to make a loose batter. Add salt to taste.

Now take a bowl, put the reserved liquid (one left after boiling veggies) making sure it is not at all hot Or else you can simply use water, to which some salt, red chilly powder and 1 tsp of Lemon juice is added.

Bread cut into trangular shape. Dip a slice of bread in the liquid, squeeze it gently in between your palms. Now spread a little vegetable stuffing on bread slice then dip another triangle piece in water and squeeze off excess water and then place on the stuffed piece.  Press and seal the sides lightly. Make use of all the triangle pieces to make similar stuffed bread pieces and keep ready to dip in batter.
Deep fry the rolls one by one, frying it on high to medium flame. Do not lessen the flame or the bread will soak more of oil.Fry till nice crisp golden brown crust is seen.

Drain out excess oil by placing the rolls on kitchen towel.

Serve with any condiment of your choice - chutney, ketchup or chilli sauce.
Sending this to Krithis's "Breakfast Club #17 ' event and Priys's "Cooking Seeds - Peas" event