The more austere fasters who did starve themselves all day would feast on rich food as soon as the deadline for fasting, usually sunset, was past. One of my favorite fasting foods – although I am incapable of fasting – was sabudana or tapioca pearls. These brittle-looking, bright-white, almost luminescent pearls are gluten-free and I always have them in my pantry because they can be turned into some of the tastiest treats you can imagine, including a sweet pudding and sabudana khichdi. Tapioca pearls are really easy to cook with- they are starchy, with a bland taste that showcases flavors added to it beautifully. All you need is a few simple herbs and spices: coriander leaves, curry leaves, green chilies, garlic and garlic and they turn into beautiful, golden little devils who will make you go just a little delirious for wanting them. Sabudana vada are usually deep-fried, but I wanted to cut down on the fat– drastically. Ebelskiver pan to the rescue. Similar to an aapam or paniyaram pan used by south Indians, this pan used by the Danish to make deep, fluffy pancakes, is also a perfect tool to “deep-fry” foods with a minimal amount of fat. For my Tapioca Pearl Fritters, all I did was spray them with some fat-free oil spray, but if you wish you can just brush on a thin layer of oil. Check to get new recipe updates by email.
These are also quick and easy to make. You do need to soak the pearls in water for a few hours, but after that the process is smooth and simple. I even used a food processor to help “knead” the fritter dough. If you are, like me, eager to save time where you can and decide to use the food processor, be sure to pulse the dough no more than two or three times, for just a few seconds each time, or you will get the tapioca and potato gummy. I was a little surprised myself by how perfect these fritters turned out. They were crispy on the outside and gooey and soft inside, and Jay went just a little crazy for them. Between him and Desi they would all have disappeared in seconds, but…I was there first.
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