RAG Demo

Tag: Upvas

  • Sabudana Vada

    Sabudana vada is a fasting-day favourite from Maharashtra, made for Navratri, Ekadashi and Mahashivratri, though most people eat it far more often than that. Soaked tapioca pearls are mixed with boiled potato and coarsely crushed roasted peanuts, seasoned with green chilli and cumin, and fried into flat, round patties. Every bite is crunchy.

    A good sabudana vada is crunchy outside and soft, chewy and slightly springy within, with the peanuts giving a nutty crunch. The pearls turn translucent and form little crisp bubbles on the surface while frying. Because the ingredients are fasting-friendly, the vada uses rock salt and avoids onion and garlic.

    It is served hot with a sweet curd dip or a green chutney made without onion. Pune eateries sell it all day with a cup of tea, and it is one of the dishes that make people look forward to fasts. Leftover sabudana khichdi can also be mashed and shaped into vadas.

    At a glance

    RegionMaharashtra
    CuisineMaharashtrian
    DietVegetarian
    CourseSnack
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time20 minutes
    Total time40 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientssabudana / potato / peanuts / green chilli

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup (160 g) sabudana, soaked 5-6 hours
    • 2 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed
    • 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed
    • 2 green chillies, finely chopped
    • 1 tsp grated ginger
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • 1 tsp lemon juice
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 1 tsp sendha namak (rock salt)
    • Oil for deep frying
    • 1 cup curd whisked with 1 tsp sugar, to serve

    Method

    1. Soak the sabudana as for khichdi: rinse, then cover with water just to the level of the pearls and leave for 5-6 hours. Drain completely and check that the pearls squash easily.
    2. In a bowl, combine the sabudana, mashed potato, peanuts, chillies, ginger, cumin, coriander, lemon juice, sugar and salt.
    3. Mix well with your hands until the mixture holds together. If it is too soft, add a little more crushed peanut.
    4. Divide into 12 portions. Wet your palms and shape each into a ball, then flatten into a patty about 1/2 inch thick.
    5. Heat oil to medium-hot, about 170 C. Test with a small piece; it should rise steadily without browning instantly.
    6. Fry 4 vadas at a time for 4-5 minutes, turning, until crisp and golden brown all over. Drain on paper.
    7. Serve hot with the sweetened curd.

    Tips

    • Too much moisture in the sabudana causes the vadas to burst. Drain well and let it dry.
    • Fry in medium-hot oil; very hot oil makes them dark outside and raw inside.
    • For a lower-oil version, cook them in an appe pan with a little oil.

    Serve with

    Sweet curd or a green chutney with peanuts.

  • Sabudana Khichdi

    Sabudana khichdi is the most popular fasting food in Maharashtra, eaten on Ekadashi, Mahashivratri, Navratri and on weekly fast days. Tapioca pearls were introduced to India in the nineteenth century and became permitted upvas food because they are not a grain. Every Maharashtrian kitchen has an opinion about how to get the pearls soft but separate.

    Properly made, the khichdi is a pile of glossy, chewy, translucent pearls coated in coarsely ground roasted peanuts, with soft cubes of potato, green chilli heat, cumin and a squeeze of lemon. It should never be gluey. The trick lies in soaking: just enough water to barely cover the pearls, then a long rest so they absorb it.

    Apart from fasts, it is a much-loved breakfast in Pune and Mumbai, sold at small eateries with a bowl of curd on the side. Eat it hot, as it hardens as it cools. A small piece of cucumber or a few grapes on the side is a traditional fasting-day pairing. Ground peanuts are essential, both for flavour and for keeping the pearls apart.

    At a glance

    RegionMaharashtra
    CuisineMaharashtrian
    DietVegetarian
    CourseBreakfast
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time15 minutes
    Total time25 minutes
    Serves3
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientssabudana / peanuts / potato / green chilli

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup (160 g) medium sabudana
    • Water to soak
    • 1/2 cup raw peanuts
    • 2 tbsp ghee
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 2-3 green chillies, chopped
    • 8 curry leaves (optional, some families skip during fasts)
    • 1 medium potato, boiled and cubed
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 3/4 tsp sendha namak (rock salt)
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • 1 tbsp grated fresh coconut (optional)

    Method

    1. Rinse the sabudana 2-3 times, rubbing gently, until the water runs clearer. Drain and add water just to the level of the pearls, not above. Cover and soak for 6 hours or overnight.
    2. Check: a pearl pressed between your fingers should squash completely with no hard white centre. Fluff with a fork; the pearls should be separate and dry, not sitting in water.
    3. Dry roast the peanuts in a pan on medium for 5-6 minutes until the skins blister. Cool, rub off the skins and pulse to a coarse powder.
    4. Mix the soaked sabudana with the peanut powder, sugar and salt. The peanut coats each pearl and is what prevents stickiness.
    5. Heat ghee in a wide non-stick pan on medium. Add cumin, and when it splutters add green chillies and curry leaves for 20 seconds. Add the potato cubes and saute for 2 minutes.
    6. Add the sabudana mixture and toss gently. Cook on low-medium for 5-7 minutes, stirring lightly every minute, until most pearls turn translucent.
    7. Turn off the heat, squeeze in lemon juice and fold in coriander and coconut. Serve immediately.

    Tips

    • Too much soaking water is the main cause of sticky khichdi. If the pearls feel wet, spread them on a plate for 15 minutes before cooking.
    • Cook on low heat and stop as soon as the pearls are translucent; overcooking turns them gluey.
    • Varieties differ: some sabudana needs only 3-4 hours of soaking, so do the squash test.

    Serve with

    A bowl of chilled curd or a glass of sweet lassi.