Sabudana Vada (Sago/Tapioca Vada)

Ingredients:

Sago/Tapioca/Sabudana                                - 1 cup
Potato                                                            - 1 cup boiled and mashed
Green Chili                                                    - 2 finely chopped
Coriander leaves                                            - 2 tbsp finely chopped
Amchoor                                                       - 1/2 tspoon
Hing                                                              - a pinch
Garam Masala                                               - 1/2 tspoon
Salt                                                                - to taste

Method:

While choosing the sabudana go for medium size sabudana.
Rinse sabudana very well with water and soak them for half an hour and take out the water.
Keep the sabudana overnight or for at-least 5 hrs with sprinkle of water. Don't add more water as it will become mushy. Sprinkle little water if you feel its very dry. This is very important while making any Sabudana Dish.
In a deep mixing bowl - add sabudana,mashed potato, green chili, coriander leaves, dry masalas and salt.

Mash the mixture well until it forms a dough consistency. If you feel the dough is very mushy and forming Vadas are not easy add 1-2 tspoon of rice flour.
Take lemon sized ball and shape them into flat Vadas.

Now heat oil in a Karahi, place Vadas to fry, carefully turn over and cook till golden brown on both sides.

Fry in medium flame to let the Vadas cook from inside and avoid burning. Also do not fry for very long time to avoid making the Vadas bitter.
Serve hot with your choice of Chutneys.

Vada Pav Mumbai Style

For the vada filling:

Potatoes                   -2 cups boiled and mashed (Aloo)
Green chillies          -2 (Hari Mirch)
Garlic                      -3/4 (Lehsun)
Mustard seeds          -1 tspoon (Rai)
Asafoetida               -1/4 tspoon (hing)
curry leaves             -6 to 8 (kari patta)
Turmeric powder    -1/2 tspoon (haldi)
Oil                           -1 tblspoon

For the outer covering:

Gram Flour                    - 3/4 cup (Besan)
Turmeric Powder           - 1/4 tspoon (Haldi)
Baking Soda                  - 1/8 tspoon
Oil                                 - 1 tspoon
Salt                                - to taste

Oil for deep frying


Method:

Making the vada filing:

Crush the green chillies, ginger and garlic using a mortar and pestle or you can coarsely chop them in a chopper.
Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds to it.
When they start to crackle, add the Asafetida and curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds.
Add the chili, ginger, garlic mixture and sauté again for a few seconds.
Add the mashed potatoes, turmeric powder and salt, mix very well.
Remove from the flame and keep aside to let it cool.
Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions. Shape into rounds.

For the outer covering and frying:

Combine all the ingredients under "Outer Covering" in a bowl and make a batter using approximately 1/3 cup of water. Keep it  thick mixture not runny.
Dip each round of the vada filling into the batter and allow it to coat the mixture well.
Deep fry in hot oil, till golden brown. Drain on paper towel to absorb excess oil and keep aside.

Assembling the Vada Pav:

Slice each pav into half and spread some tomato garlic chutney inside.
Place one vada in each pav and serve immediately.
Fry some green chilis to go with the Vada Pav.