Tapioca pearl patties
| | |

Tapioca Pearl Patties – Sabudana Tikki

These tapioca pearl patties are so crunchy from the outside, but tender in the middle. Pan fried and spiced to perfection. They can be enjoyed with a variety of chutneys on the side.

I love tapioca pearl patties. They are my all-time favorite. My mom used to make them when we were growing up and I couldn’t get enough of them. Now my kids love them just as much and we all enjoy them from time to time. And the best part, they are gluten free.

Growing up in a Hindu household meant observing all kinds of Hindu festivals. One of the religious festivals that the Hindus celebrate is called “Navratri”. Translated it means 9 nights. Hindus tend to “fast” for 8 days and on the 9th day they celebrate by feeding young kids and breaking their fasts. On the 10th day, they celebrate by burning an effigy of “Rawan”.

Fasting during these 8 days means keeping away from all kinds of grains, legumes, alcohol, etc. During this time, these patties, known as Sabudana Tikki are very popular, since they have all kinds of things that people are allowed to consume.

The ingredients for Tapioca Pearl Patties

There are not too many ingredients in this recipe, but the flavors will amaze you. Although traditionally, onions would not be part of the recipe, I enjoy adding onions to mine.

Ingredients for tapioca pearl patties

Ingredients List for this Indian Recipe:

  • 3/4 cups tapioca pearls
  • 2 baking potatoes
  • 1 green chili
  • 1 small red onion
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1 tablespoon dried mango powder
  • 1 tablespoon cumin powder
  • 1/4 cup roasted peanuts
  • 1 teaspoon of black salt (or pink Himalayan salt)
  • Oil for pan-frying

More Indian Recipes you will Like:


Soaking the Tapioca

The first step to making these delicious tapioca pearl patties is to soak the tapioca pearls. Tapioca pearls are hard and can not be used as they are, so we need to soften them by soaking them in water. To do this:

  • Add 3/4 cup of tapioca pearls into a measuring cup or a bowl and cover them with water – about 2 cups worth of water.
  • Let them soak for about 5- 6 hours and soften.
  • Subsequently, we can discard the water they were soaking in. It is no longer needed.
Tapioca pearls in water

Comparing the Tapioca Balls:

Once the tapioca pearls have soaked, they will not only soften but also increase in size. The pearls also become a little translucent as they soften.

Tapioca pearl comparison

Making The Potato and Spice Mixture

The next step is to boil the potatoes.

  • Peel and chop two baking potatoes into large chunks.
  • Boil them till they are soft all the way through – just like you would when making mashed potatoes.
  • While the potatoes are boiling, finely chop one small red onion and one green chili.
  • Grate one teaspoon of ginger and set them all aside.

Once the potatoes are done boiling, we can make the patty mixture.

  • In a large bowl, add the potatoes and mash them.
  • Next, add:
    • tapioca pearls
    • chopped onion
    • chopped green chili
    • grated ginger
    • 1 tablespoon dried mango powder
    • 1 tablespoon cumin powder
    • and 1 teaspoon of black or Himalayan salt.
  • Mix everything together so that the spices get evenly distributed.
Tapioca pearl patty mix

Adding the Peanuts to Tapioca Pearl Patties:

We are ready to add the roasted peanuts to the potato mixture.

  • Add 1/4 cup of roasted peanuts to the bowl and mix so that they get evenly distributed.
  • The peanuts are optional of course. I love the texture of the peanuts when they get fried, but you can skip them altogether.

Making the Sabudana Tikki:

Finally, we can start making the patties. The recipe makes 10, 2-inch patties. To make it easy:

Tapioca pearl patties ready to fry
  • Divide the mixture into 10 equal parts.
  • Take one part, roll it into a ball, and then flatten it into a patty. You can even out the sides once you flatten it so it looks nice.
  • Repeat the process until you have all 10 patties formed.

Pan Frying the Patties:

Let’s get frying and enjoy our delicious snack.

  • Heat a cast-iron pan, (or a non-stick pan) and add 2 tablespoons of oil to it. I add about 2 tablespoons of oil to my pan and I can cook 5 patties at one go.
  • Once the oil heats up a little, place the patties on the pan.
  • Let them cook for about 3-4 mins. I tend to rotate them around, so they cook evenly.
  • Flip the patties once and add another couple of tablespoons of oil to the pan. Cook them for another 3-4 minutes. The patties should brown all over and get crispy on the inside.
Close up of tapioca pearl patties

Serving Suggestions:

Enjoy these gluten free patties warm with:

Variations:

There are a lot of variations we can make to these patties / tikkis:

  • If allergic to peanuts, replace them with cashew nuts or unsalted roasted pumpkin seeds.
  • Don’t like onions or are fasting, skip the onion altogether.
  • If you don’t have dried mango powder, replace it with one teaspoon of lemon juice.
Tapioca pearl patties

Tried and Liked the Recipe?

Scroll to the bottom of the page, and past the recipe to find the comment form. Please fill out details of what you liked and what you would like to see improved. Comments are loved! I look forward to hearing how much you enjoyed the recipe!

Stay Connected

Don’t forget to sign up for the free newsletter and be the first to learn about all my new recipes. And, don’t forget to follow me on my social media accounts: FacebookInstagramPinterestYouTube, and Twitter.

Tapioca Pearl Patties – Sabudana Tikki

Course: SnacksCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

10

servings
Prep time

20

minutes
Soaking time

5

hours 
Calories

92

kcal
Cooking time

15

mins
Total time

5

hours 

35

minutes

These tapioca pearl patties are so crunchy from the outside, but tender in the middle. Pan fried and spiced to perfection. They can be enjoyed with a variety of chutneys on the side.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cups tapioca pearls

  • 2 baking potatoes

  • 1 green chili

  • 1 small red onion

  • 1 inch piece of ginger

  • 1 tablespoon dried mango powder

  • 1 tablespoon cumin powder

  • 1/4 cup roasted peanuts

  • 1 teaspoon of black salt (or pink Himalayan salt) – or to taste

  • Oil for pan frying

Directions

  • Place the tapioca pearls in a mixing bowl and add enough water to the bowl to cover the pearls – about 2 cups. Let the tapioca pearls soak for about 5 hours. They need to soften before they can be used.
  • Boil water in a large pan with some salt. Peel and chop the potatoes and boil them till they soften. Once boiled, drain and mash the potatoes.
  • Finely chop the onions and the chili. Grate the ginger.
  • Using a sieve, drain the tapioca and discard the water. Add the tapioca back to the mixing bowl. Add the mashed potatoes, onion, green chili, ginger, dried mango, cumin powder, and salt to the bowl. Mix everything well, so that the spices are well distributed.
  • Taste to ensure there is enough salt in the mix, and adjust accordingly.
  • Add the peanuts to the bowl and mix to evenly distribute.
  • Make 10 patties out of the mix – about 2 inches in diameter.
  • Heat a cast-iron skillet (or any non-stick pan) and add some oil to the pan. Place the patties on the pan and fry on medium heat for about 3-4 mins, then add more oil to the pan, flip the patties, and fry for 3-4 mins on the other side.
  • Serve with a side of tamarind, or mango and coriander chutney.
What are Tapioca Pear Patties made of?

Tapioca pearl patties are made of these simple, but delicious ingredients:
– 3/4 cups tapioca pearls
– 2 baking potatoes
– 1 small red onion
– 1 teaspoon grated ginger
– 1 tablespoon dried mango powder
– 1 tablespoon cumin powder
– 1/4 cup roasted peanuts
– 1 teaspoon of black salt or Himalayan salt

How long do I have to soak the tapioca pearls?

Add 3/4 cup of tapioca pearls into a bowl and cover them with water – about 2 cups worth of water. Let them soak for about 5- 6 hours and soften.

Are Tapioca Pearl Patties gluten free?

Yes! Since tapioca is considered gluten free, these tapioca pearl patties (Sabudana tikki) are indeed gluten free.

Don’t forget to follow me: FacebookPinterestInstagram, and YouTube.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

2 Comments

  1. Hi,

    Always thought tapioca was for desserts. This is such a great use for it. Thanks for adding to our menu.

    Kiki

    1. Hello Kiki,

      Oh, there are so many interesting things one can do with tapioca. I am so glad I was able to add to your menu 🙂

      Deepti