It was a cold, rainy weekend afternoon, and tea time. I was already fighting hard to resist the temptation for a warm, crispy snack, and there came my husband, asking if I could make some vada (fritters). I hadn't soaked anything or prepared to make vada, but I had potatoes at home and instant sago that soaks quickly. So, there goes my answer. But my husband hates any dish made with sago - or so he claims. Well, after 4 years of marriage, I'm now well aware of his pre-conceived notions and baseless dislike of every other ingredient. The good thing is that he doesn't always recognize them! In the case of this vada, he only noticed the potatoes in them and he found the snack absolutely heavenly. When I mentioned the sago in it, it was already too late for him to retract!


Ingredients

sago (sabudana) - 1 cup
potato - 1
roasted peanut - 1/2 cup (coarsely ground)
green chillies - 3 (chopped fine)
ginger paste - 1/2 tsp (or ginger - 1 inch piece - peeled and chopped fine)
red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
salt - 1 1/4 tsp
curry leaves - a few (chopped fine)
lemon juice - 1 tbsp
pakoda masala - 1 tsp (optional)

Method

Soak sago until soft. Drain and wash. Dry on kitchen tissue for. Cut the potato into 8 pieces of approximately 2 inches each and microwave for 4 minutes. Cool, peel and mash potatoes. Add sago and all the other remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly and make a soft but firm dough. Roll out into lemon-sized balls, flatten out into disks and deep fry in hot oil. Serve with chutney or sauce.

Notes:
1. Soaking time will vary depending on the sago - if it is instant sago, just wash and drain. If it is the hard sago, it needs to be soaked for a few hours, preferably in warm water so that it soaks faster.
2. Roll out the vadas into thin disks if you like it to be very crispy.