Sabudana Fritters and Yogurt Peanut Dip | Sago Vada [shallow-fry method] | And the Indian Food Blogger's Meet!

It has been over two years since I have been a food blogger and I still consider myself a ‘fresher’ in this field. From even before I began my blogging odyssey and also along the way, I have come across some established food bloggers who have carved out a niche for themselves in the blog sphere. They have constantly kept me motivated, awed me with their passion and dedication for blogging and have inspired me with their ability to juggle the various facets of their lives with ease.

Blogging may seem like a simple hobby to many, but only when one ponders into this beautiful world and delves deeper does one understand the intricacies of the art. Yes, to me blogging is an art.

So, as I am still taking wobbly baby steps and just learning to hold my paint brush right, I am only lucky to be able to share some space with some very talented artists of the food blogging world. I first heard about the Indian Food Blogger’s Meet (IFBMeet) through Aparna [My Diverse Kitchen]. I got to know her through a bread-baking group on Facebook. She along with three other talented bloggers have planned this wonderful event as a platform for like-minded bloggers from across the country to come together and share ideas and thoughts. I am delighted to be able to be a part of it, get enlightened and meet some of the bloggers in person, whose blogs have been a fond read of mine for a while now.

IFBM, a first of its kind in India happening on the 1st and 2nd of August in Bangalore, promises to be jam-packed with workshops, talks and events for like-minded bloggers. Food styling, food photography, food writing, cook-book publishing... you name it and they have it all planned up! I am excited, as this is going to be my first ever blogger-meet up!

“Surround yourself with people who are going to motivate and inspire you.” — Charles M. Marcus

Yes, I am going to be doing just that! :)

So, as I gear up for this exciting event that is just a fortnight away, I am sharing with you all a lovely recipe of an age old favourite dish, the cooking process of which has been given a healthy twist. I have been making the deep-fried version of sabudana vadas at home for long. It was only recently, while browsing through a foodie group that I am a part of, that I bumped across this method of preparing this yummy snack. It uses a paniyaram / appe pan and minimum oil! It caught my attention and I simply had to try it to believe it. I was delighted with the result and though this takes more time than deep-frying, and am never going to be deep-frying this any more! :)

These sabudana fritters are super crispy on the outside and soft in the inside. And oh, that simple to put-to-gethher dip... no you don't want to miss that! :)

Source: Mrunalini Ghare-Salvi

Makes: 14 fritters

Ingredients

For the Sabudana Fritters:

Sabudana | Sago - 1 cup, soaked overnight
Potato - 1, boiled
Peanuts - 3 tblsp, roasted and ground
Green Chillies - 2, finely minced
Lemon Juice - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder | Jeera Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste

For the Yogurt Peanut Dip:

Yogurt - 4 tbsp
Peanuts - 2 tbsp, roasted, ground
Cumin Powder | Jeera Powder  - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste

Method

To make the Sabudana Fritters:

• Make sure the sabudana is soft at touch and is not hard in the center. 
• Mash the potatoes and mix all the ingredients in a big mixing bowl. Knead well into a dough. 
• Make small lemon sized balls out of the dough and keep aside for ten minutes.
• Heat a few drops of oil in paniyaram/appe pan. 
• Toss in the small balls of the batter and allow to cook for a couple of minutes.
• Flip the balls over and allow to cook on all sides evenly. Sprinkle in some more oil at intervals, only if needed or if the sago balls are sticking to the sides of the pan.
• Once the dough balls are cooked and roasted on all sides, remove from pan.

To make the Yogurt Peanut Dip: 

• Mix together all the ingredients listed under Yogurt Peanut Dip and serve along with the fritters. 
• Garnish with some more peanut powder just before serving to retain the crunch.

• The pairing of the sabudana fritters and the yogurt dip is absolutely heavenly. It is suggested that you chill the dip until serving time and garnish with roasted peanut powder just before serving.
• The beauty of sabudana is the crunch outside and the softness inside. As they cool, the outer covering cools down and the crispiness is lost. Hence, it is best served warm. 
• In case the fritters have softened up and you want to make them crisp again, just roast them in the paniyaram pans on low heat for a few minutes, along with a few drops of oil.