Sabudana Thalipeeth (Maharashtrian Fasting Snack)

Sabudana Thalipeeth are crispy and soft pancakes made with tapioca pearls (sago), mashed potatoes, ground peanuts and spices. These delicious sago pancakes are often made for Hindu religious fasting or vrat like Navratri, Ekadashi and Mahashivratri. They are also known as Upvasache Thalipeeth in the Marathi language.

About Sabudana Thalipeeth

Sabudana also known as sago or tapioca pearls are white colored small balls or pearls made from the roots of the cassava plant (tapioca, yuca). 

Various Sabudana Recipes are often made for Hindu fasting days. Usually I make Sabudana Vada, Sabudana Kheer or Sabudana Khichdi during fasting.

This Sabudana Thalipeeth is also such snack meant for fasting. You could also call this tasty preparation Sabudana Roti.

You can make these sabudana thalipeeth instead of sabudana vada if you don’t want to eat any deep fried snack. Sabudana thalipeeth is a light snack and ideal for people who are fasting.

The way to make the mixture is same as sabudana vada. To make the recipe, you have to first soak the sabudana in water for some hours or overnight. Drain all the water after the sabudana pearls are soaked well enough.

The sabudana is then mixed with mashed potatoes, peanut powder, coriander leaves, ginger, a few spices and edible rock salt.

The ingredients are mixed well and shaped/flattened into round discs, which are then pan fried or roasted on a skillet or tawa.

Serve the Sabudana thalipeeth or Upvasache Thalipeeth with any falahari chutney or raita. I served with vrat ke dahi aloo and tamarind dates chutney.

If you are looking for more Navratri Fasting Recipes then do check:

• Sabudana Tikki
• Farali Pattice
• Roasted Makhana

How to make Sabudana Thalipeeth

Soak Sabudana

1. Pick and rinse ⅔ cup sabudana well, till you get transparent water when rinsing. Soak them overnight or for 8 to 9 hours in enough water in a bowl.

Depending upon the quality of sabudana you can soak them for 2 to 3 hours also. I always soak them overnight as soaking for 2 to 3 hours doesn’t work for the quality of sabudana which I get in my city.

It is very important to soak the sabudana pearls very well. They should be completely softened that you can mash them easily when pressed between two fingers.

There must not be any hardness in the center. Un-soaked or under-soaked sabudana will burst while cooking and also make the thalipeeth very hard in texture.

2. The next day, drain all the water really well. Make sure there is no water in them. It is an important step not to be missed.

3. Measure and keep all the ingredients ready for making sabudana thalipeeth.

Make Sago Mixture

4. Add 2 large or medium sized boiled, peeled and mashed potatoes to the soaked sabudana. Make sure that the mashed potatoes are warm or at room temperature.

Do not add hot mashed potatoes to the sabudana as this will partially cook the sabudana starch and make the mixture sticky.

You can cook the potatoes in a stovetop pressure cooker, pan, steamer or Instant pot adding water as required.

5. Next add the following ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• ½ inch finely chopped ginger
• sendha namak (rock salt) as required

6. Also add ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves and ¼ cup coarsely ground roasted peanuts.

For the peanuts first roast ¼ cup peanuts in a pan or skillet until crunchy. Then once cooled, crush them to a semi-fine powder in a mortar pestle or spice grinder or mixer grinder.

7. Finally add 1 teaspoon lemon juice.

8. Mix very well to make an even mixture.

Make Sabudana Thalipeeth

9. Apply some peanut oil on your palms. Take some portion from the mixture and begin to flatten it with your palms to a round shape. you can also flatten on a ziplock bag. I find it easier to flatten with my palms.

10. Heat a nonstick frying pan or a well seasoned cast iron skillet or tawa. Spread 1 or 2 teaspoon of peanut oil or ghee on the pan.

11. Place the flattened round (thalipeeth) on the frying pan. Keep the heat to medium low to medium.

12. When one side is golden and crisp then using a spatula carefully turn over. If you want you can drizzle or spread some peanut oil or ghee.

13. When this side also gets crispy and golden. Then flip once more if needed. You can flip a few times to ensure that the sabudana thalipeeth is cooked evenly and well.

14. If you have a large pan, you can cook 2 to 3 sabudana thalipeeth at the same time.

15. Repeat and similarly pan fry the rest of the thalipeeth.

Serve sabudana thalipeeth with a phalahari chutney or raita or plain yogurt. You can also sweetened the curd with some sugar or jaggery.

Sabudana Thalipeeth recipe from the archives was first published on April 2013.