Sabudana Chivda Recipe | Sabudana Namkeen Recipe | Sabudana Snacks

Sabudana Chivda is a crispy Indian snack made with fried sabudana (tapioca pearls), nuts, raisins and a few spices. It is a vegan, gluten-free namkeen commonly prepared during fasting or vrat days like Navratri and is quick to make with a few basic ingredients.

About This Sabudana Chivda

You don’t need a long ingredient list to make this Sabudana Chivda. Apart from sabudana, all you need are peanuts, cashews, raisins, red chilli powder, powdered sugar, rock salt (or regular salt if not making it for fasting), and oil for frying.

One important thing to note is the type of sabudana. This recipe works only with nylon sabudana, which are larger, translucent pearls.

Regular sabudana does not give the same crispy texture. Nylon sabudana is easily available in India, both online and in local grocery stores.

To spice up this Sabudana Namkeen, you can use spice powders that are used in Navratri Fasting. I use red chilli powder, as it is commonly allowed during Navratri fasting in my family. The little bit of sugar balances the heat well.

If you don’t use red chilli powder, you can fry green chillies or add black pepper powder instead. Once made, store the chivda in an airtight container and use it as needed.

In India, what we commonly call sabudana or sago is actually made from tapioca starch. It is not the true sago used in some Asian countries, which comes from palm trees.

Tapioca starch is processed into pearls, which is what we use in both savory snacks and sweets. You can see this clearly in desserts like Sabudana Kheer.

Here are a few more easy and tasty Sabudana Recipes that you can try at home, especially during fasting days.

• Sabudana Tikki
• Sabudana Vada
• Sabudana Pakoda
• Sabudana Khichdi

How to make Sabudana Chivda

Fry Sabudana, Nuts & Raisins

1. In a metal frying strainer, take ½ cup nylon sabudana pearls. You will see the size of the pearls in the picture below. They are larger than the regular variety and are a translucent.

2. Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or wok. Heat that much quantity, in which the pearls can get immersed completely.

Place the metal frying strainer with 2 to 3 tablespoons sabudana pearls in the oil. Don’t over crowd, as then the frying is not even.

Tip: Instead of using a strainer, you can also deep fry the nylon sabudana directly in the hot oil.

3. When the pearls come in contact with the hot oil, they will start puffing up.

4. With a spoon, keep on turning them, so that sabudana is fried evenly in the oil.

5. The sabudana pearls have to fry really well. Even if it looks crisp and done from outside, it will be hard from the center.

To check for doneness, you can bite into a few pearls. If you feel they are not cooked from the center, continue to fry. Remove and drain the fried pearls on kitchen paper napkins.

6. Now, fry ¼ cup raw peanuts the same way in the oil, till they change color and become crunchy. Similarly, fry ¼ cup cashews and ¼ cup raisins.

7. As soon as they are fried to a golden, drain on kitchen paper napkins.

Make Sabudana Chivda

8. You can add rock salt, ½ teaspoon powdered sugar and ¼ teaspoon red chili powder and mix everything together.

Or take all of the fried ingredients in a jar, once the chivda mixture becomes cool. Sprinkle, salt, powdered sugar and red chili powder.

9. Cover the jar tightly and shake it, so as to mix the seasonings with the sabudana and nuts.

Store Sabudana Namkeen in an air-tight jar in a cool dry place. It keeps well for several weeks at room temperature.

10. Serve Sabudana Chivda as is, when required.

Expert Tips

1. If you are using green chilies instead of red chili powder, then fry them in oil and use. You can also add black pepper powder in this recipe.
2. Make sure to use the larger and translucent variety of nylon sabudana for this recipe. Not the regular variety.
3. While frying the sabudana, ensure immersing them completely in the hot oil and frying. For this reason, don’t overcrowd as well as then the frying is uneven too.
4. For even frying, keep turning the sabudana pearls with a spoon.
5. To check the doneness of the fried sabudana, bite into a few pearls. If you feel they are not cooked in the center, then continue to fry till they are properly cooked in the center too.
6. If you like potatoes, you can cut them into thin matchsticks or shred them, then deep fry until crisp and later mix with the fried sabudana.
7. You can increase the Sabudana Chivda recipe proportionately for making larger batches. 

Step by Step Photo Guide Above

Sabudana Chivda | Sabudana Namkeen

Author: Dassana Amit

4.84 from 6 votes

This Nylon sabudana chivda is a crispy and tasty fasting snack made from nylon sabudana and dry fruits for the Navratri fasts.

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Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings2 to 3

CourseSnacks

DietVegan

CuisineIndian

Ingredients

• ▢ ½ cup nylon sabudana large pearls
• ▢ ¼ cup peanuts
• ▢ ¼ cup raisins
• ▢ ¼ cup cashews
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon red chili powder or 1 green chili – chopped
• ▢ ½ teaspoon powdered sugar or as required
• ▢ rock salt (edible and food grade) as required
• ▢ oil for deep frying

Instructions

• In a metal frying strainer, take the nylon sabudana pearls.
• Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai/wok. Heat as much quantity, in which the pearls can get immersed completely. Place the metal frying strainer with 2 to 3 tbsp of the sabudana pearls in the oil. Don’t over crowd as then the frying is not even.
• When the pearls come in contact with the hot oil, they will start puffing up.
• With a spoon, keep on turning them around, so that they are fried evenly.
• The pearls have to fried really well. Even if they look, crisp and done from out, they will be hard from inside. To check for doneness, you can bite into a few pearls. If you feel they are not cooked from the center, then continue to fry them. If theyremove and drain the fried pearls on kitchen paper issues.
• Now fry raw peanuts the same way in the oil, till they change color and become crunchy. Similarly fry the cashews and raisins. When frying the raisins, as soon as they puff up, remove them from oil
• As soon as the dry fruits are fried and golden, drain them on paper napkins.
• You can add rock salt, powdered sugar and red chili powder and mix everything together. Or take all of the fried ingredients in a jar, once the chiwda mixture becomes cool. Sprinkle, salt, powdered sugar and red chili powder.
• Cover the jar tightly and shake it, so as to mix the seasonings with the sabudana and dry fruits. Store sabudana chivda at room temperature.
• Serve sabudana chivda plain when required.

Dassana’s Notes

• The recipe can be doubled or tripled.
• If using green chilies, then fry them in oil.

Sabudana Chivda Recipe from the archives was first published on February 2014.