Sabudana tikki is a popular Indian tea time snack made from sabudana, potatoes, peanuts and spices. These tikkis are crunchy from outside and soft from inside. Although these are deep fried yet are so light. Method of preparation is simple but needs little planning ahead of time for example, soaking the sabudana, potatoes need to be boiled and mashed, peanuts to be roasted and crushed.
These crunchy sabudana tikkis are perfect snack for a rainy evening. I love the creaminess of potatoes and the crunch from the sabudana. This is my go to recipe when I am in mood for fried food.
I hope you will enjoy making these sabudana tikki and share this recipe with your family and friends.
Soaking sabudana
Soaking sabudana is an important step in making these tikki. Rinse sabudana 2-3 times throughly with water. Add the rinsed sabudana and 1/2 cup of water in a bowl, cover and let them soak for at least 3-4 hours. Once done, sabudana should still hold its shape but crush easily once pinched between fingers.
If you add more water while soaking, sabudana will soak up all the water and will become mushy.
NOTE: Depending on the variety and source of sabudana, the soaking time can vary.
Which variety of potatoes to use
Yukon gold or yellow potatoes works the best because they have high starch content and medium moisture. The starch from potatoes helps in binding the tikki. Boil the potatoes using instant pot/pressure cooker for 20 minutes and natural release pressure method. Once cool, peel the potato skin and grate the potatoes. I prefer grating because it helps in reducing the lumps.
Roast the peanuts
Heat the pan on low and add 1/4 tsp of oil and peanuts. Roast the peanuts for about 5 minutes or till the peanuts don’t taste raw. Remove from the heat and keep aside to cool completely. Once cool rub them in between a clean kitchen towel, this will get the skin off the peanuts. Crush them coarsely or you can choose to grind it to the fine powder.
I love adding roasted cumin and chilli powder, it gives a lovely color and flavor to the tikki.
How to make sabudana tikki
Preparing the mixture
In a large mixing bowl add all the ingredients, soaked sabudana, roasted and crushed peanuts, potatoes, cilantro leaves, chopped green chillies, rice flour, salt, cumin and red chili powder.
TIP: Rice flour helps in binding the mixture and making these tikkis crisp.
Combine all the ingredients well together.
Shaping the sabudana tikki
Take a small amount around 1.5 oz (40g) of the prepared mixture in your palm and shape it to size of small round ball. Slightly press the prepared ball between the palms of your hand to form a round disc. Make sure that the mixture is binding together and there are no cracks. In case the mixture is falling apart and not holding the shape, add more rice flour to the mixture, combine well and start again.
TIP: Shape all the tikki and keep them aside. This will help in frying process go smoother.
Heat the oil for frying
Always use a deep wok for frying and add enough oil to cover the tikkis. Correct temperature of the oil is critical in making crispy tikki. The oil should be hot but not smoky. If the oil is not hot enough the tikkis will soak all the oil and become soggy and if the oil is too hot the outside will cook fast and turn brown but the inside will remain uncooked.
Heat the oil to a high temperature range of 375°F (190°C) because once you add the tikkis the oil temperature drops further. I highly recommend using a thermometer.
TIP: Heat the oil on medium when you start shaping the tikki, by the time you are done shaping the tikki, the oil will be ready for frying.
Deep frying the tikki
Once the oil is hot, carefully add 3-4 prepared tikki and let them cook for a minute and a half without disturbing. Flip the tikkis to the other side and let them cook for another minute or until they turn crispy and brown in color. Remove and set them aside on a plate lined paper towel.
NOTE: The temperature of the oil drops once you finish cooking a batch, so it is very important to heat the oil back to the required temperature before adding the next batch.
TIP: I would recommend to fry one tikki to begin with, this helps in understanding the temperature of the oil in case you are not using a thermometer.
Serve these hot and crispy tikkis with mint and tamarind chutney or tomato ketchup and a cup of hot masala chai.
TIP: Sabudana tikki tastes best when hot, they become soggy once they cool down and are difficult to reheat.
