Sabudana Tikki | Sabudana Cutlet

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Sabudana tikki are thin pan-fried patties made with tapioca pearls, mashed potatoes and spices. Also known as sabudana cutlet, these crispy patties make for a delicious snack that will get over in no time. This recipe is suitable for Hindu fasting days like Ekadashi, Navratri, Mahashivratri or Chaturthi. It is also easy to customize this dish with the ingredients you include during your fast.

sabudana tikki served on on a white platter with a side of homemade tomato sauce.

Sabudana called as sago or tapioca pearls are often consumed during fasting or vrat. Basically these are small white pearls made from tapioca flour starch.

Even thought the preparation of sabudana tikki looks similar to that of Sabudana Vada, some of the ingredients included in the tikki are unique and different. Unlike a sabudana vada which has a good amount of peanuts, sabudana tikki has a few cashews and raisins added to it. Dry mango powder is added here instead of lemon juice to give a slight tang to the patties.

Sabudana tikki is a North Indian style recipe and Sabudana Vada is a delicacy from the Maharashtrian cuisine. Moreover sabudana vada are deep fried and these sago tikkis are pan-fried with a few tablespoons of oil.

Serve sabudana cutlet with a satvik coconut chutney or a homemade tomato ketchup made without preservatives or a satvik coriander chutney or mint chutney.

With sabudana, I make some more fasting recipes like:

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Sabudana Tikki

Soaking Sabudana

1. Rinse and then soak ½ cup sabudana pearls in water covering them above from 1 to 2 inches, for 5 to 6 hours or overnight.

Depending on the quality of sabudana you can even soak for 2 to 3 hours. When properly soaked, the sago pearls, will get mashed easily when pressed. If you feel some hardness in the center, then soak for some more time.

soaked sabudana in water in a pan

2. Then drain the soaked sago pearls very well in a strainer.

drain water from sabudana

Cooking and Mashing Potatoes

3. Boil or steam 1 large potato in a stove-top pressure cooker, steamer, Instant Pot or microwave oven. The potato has to be softened and well cooked. Drain all the water from the boiled potato.

Add water as needed when steaming or boiling the potatoes using any cooking method that you follow – in a pan, instant pot or stove-top pressure cooker.

Note that the water has to be drained thoroughly before you begin to peel and mash the potato. Any water logging in the potato, will make the tikki mixture moist or pasty.

boiled potato in a plate

4. When the potato is slightly hot or warm, peel and mash it with a fork or a vegetable masher very well in a bowl. Let the mashed potato become lukewarm or cool completely at room temperature before you begin adding the remaining ingredients to it.

mashed potato

5. Now add the following ingredients. You can also use roasted and slightly crushed peanuts instead of cashews.

  • the sabudana pearls that have been drained of all the water
  • ½ teaspoon chopped green chillies
  • 10 to 12 cashews (chopped) or 4 tablespoons chopped cashews
  • ½ tablespoon chopped raisins
  • ½ teaspoon cumin powder
  • ¼ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder) or add as per taste
  • edible rock salt (sendha namak) as required
spices and sabudana added to mashed potatoes in a bowl

6. Mix very well. I was very sure that the tikkis will not break while frying. This recipe works. But if you are in doubt, you can add 1 tablespoon of arrowroot flour or water chestnut flour or buckwheat flour.

mixture for sabudana tikki

Making Sabudana Tikki

7. Then form flat patties from the mixture. Keep the width of the patties to ⅓ inch as when cooking they cook quickly from outside.

If you make thick sabudana tikki, then the outsides become golden, but the center will feel raw. We need to keep the thickness of the patties thin as we are pan-frying them and not deep frying.

make sabudana tikki from the mixture

8. Heat 2 tablespoon peanut oil in a frying pan or skillet. Place 4 to 5 sabudana tikki in the pan and fry on medium heat. You can also use ghee (clarified butter) to pan-fry.

frying sabudana tikki in peanut oil in a pan

9. When the base is lightly browned, flip using a spatula and pan-fry the other side. If needed you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons more oil.

turn and fry sabudana tikki

10. Flip again when the second side is golden. Flip a couple of times more, until the sabudana cutlets are crisp and golden from both sides.

flip couple of times and fry sabudana tikkis

11. Place the pan-fried sabudana tikki on kitchen paper towels to remove any extra oil.

fried sabudana tikki on kitchen paper towels

12. Fry the remaining batches in the same way add 1 to 2 tablespoons oil or as needed. The recipe makes for 8 sabudana cutlet.

frying sabudana tikki in batches

Serve sabudana tikki hot or warm with a satvik coconut chutney or homemade tomato sauce made without preservatives or coriander chutney or mint chutney.

sabudana tikki served on a white plate with homemade tomato sauce

If you are looking for more Navratri recipes then do check:

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sabudana tikki recipe, sabudana cutlet recipe

Sabudana Tikki | Sabudana Cutlet

Sabudana tikki also known as sabudana cutlet are pan-fried thin patties made with tapioca pearls, mashed potatoes and spices. These crispy patties make for a delicious snack that will get over in no time.
4.94 from 15 votes
Prep Time 5 hours
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 20 minutes
Cuisine Indian
Course Snacks
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan
Difficulty Level Easy
Servings 8 sabudana tikki
Units

Ingredients

  • ½ cup sabudana (tapioca pearls or sago)
  • 1 large potato or 130 grams potato – boiled, peeled and mashed
  • ½ teaspoon chopped green chilies or 1 green chili
  • 10 to 12 cashews – chopped or 4 tablespoon chopped cashews or 2 tablespoon roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed
  • ½ tablespoon chopped raisins or 8 to 9 raisins – chopped
  • ½ teaspoon cumin powder
  • ¼ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur) or add as per taste
  • 1 tablespoon rock salt – edible and food grade, (sendha namak), add as required
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons peanut oil – for pan frying

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • Rinse and then soak the sabudana pearls in water covering them above 1 inch, for 5 to 6 hours or overnight. Depending on the quality of sabudana you can even soak for 2 to 3 hours. 
  • When properly soaked, the sabudana pearl, should get mashed when pressed. If you feel some hardness in the center, then soak for some more time.
  • Then drain the soaked sabudana pearls very well in a strainer.
  • Boil or steam 1 large potato in a pressure cooker, steamer or microwave oven. The potato has to be well cooked. Drain all the water from the boiled potato.

Making sago mixture

  • When the potato is hot or becomes warm, peel and mash it very well in a bowl. Let the mashed potatoes become lukewarm or cool at room temperature.
  • Later add the sabudana, chopped green chillies, chopped cashews and raisins to the mashed potatoes.
  • Add cumin powder, dry mango powder. Also add rock salt (sendha namak) as required. You can also use roasted and slightly crushed peanuts instead of cashews.
  • Mix very well.
  • Then form flat patties from the mixture. Keep the width of the patties to ⅓ inch as when cooking they cook quickly from outside. If you make thick tikkis, then the outsides become golden, but the center will feel raw. Since we are pan frying the sabudana tikki and not deep frying.

Pan-frying sabudana tikki

  • Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a skillet or frying pan. Place 4 to 5 sabudana tikki in the pan. Fry them on medium heat.
  • When the base is lightly browned, flip and pan fry the other side. Flip again with a spatula when the second side is golden and crisp.
  • Flip a couple of times more till they are crisp and golden from both sides. If required you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons more oil.
  • Place the fried sabudana cutlet on kitchen paper towels. Fry the remaining batch in the same way adding 1 to 2 tablespoons more oil.
  • Serve sabudana tikki hot or warm with fasting a satvik green chutney or coconut chutney.
  • You can also serve sabudana cutlet with curd (yogurt) sweetened with some sugar.

Notes

The approximate nutrition info is for 1 sabudana tikki. 

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Sabudana Tikki | Sabudana Cutlet
Amount Per Serving (1 sabudana tikki)
Calories 78 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 904mg39%
Potassium 22mg1%
Carbohydrates 9g3%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 2IU0%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg5%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Vitamin E 1mg7%
Vitamin K 1µg1%
Calcium 3mg0%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 1µg0%
Iron 1mg6%
Magnesium 6mg2%
Phosphorus 13mg1%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This Sabudana Tikki recipe post from the blog archives (first published in December 2015) has been updated and republished on 30 June 2021.

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Welcome to Dassana's Veg Recipes. I share vegetarian recipes from India & around the World. Having been cooking for decades and with a professional background in cooking & baking, I help you to make your cooking journey easier with my tried and tested recipes showcased with step by step photos & plenty of tips & suggestions.

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11 Comments

  1. Checking your site for the first time…..for want of new recipes other than our traditional preparations. Will prepare n then comment. Thanks

    1. thanks nagaratna. sure when you try the recipes, you can comment. welcome and happy cooking.

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