With soft, crunchy, and toasted textures, all mixed in one mini cocktail cup, this sabudana (sago/tapioca) appetizer is quick to make and absolutely mouthwatering. It has layers of tamarind/cilantro chutney, sabudana, veggies, potatoes, and spices for a chaat style dish!

Sabudana, sago or tapioca pearls used to be one of the major components of my mother’s lavish and only meal of her fasting days. Yes, staying hungry for the entire day for your husband’s long life or for your child’s bright future are some bizarre but legendary beliefs of my beloved India. Well, enough on the incredibility of this country, let me tell you about the dish I have created based on traditional sabudana.

Reflecting an individual color, each layer of this Sabudana Tapas has its own burst of flavor. The bottom-most layer of tamarind chutney gives a hint of piquantness while the middle layer of sabudana is lightly tossed with spices like salt, pepper and sugar to maintain its subtlety. The soft and elastic sabudana are introduced with crunchy peanuts and roasted namkeen, an added crunch for a blend of textures.

Served with a sprinkle of mint-coriander chutney, chaat masala, and lemon, the top layer adds a needed tang to the flavor. The garnish with julienne beet, ginger, carrot, radish, and pomegranate seeds not only complete the dish but makes it super delectable!

Serve this simple, quick and yummy appetizer at your next party and watch your guests marvel at all the flavor that’s encased in a small cocktail glass 😉

STEP BY STEP VIDEO:

Sabudana (Tapioca) Tapas

• Servings: 10
• Time: 30 minutes
• Print

With soft, crunchy, and toasted textures, all mixed in one mini cocktail cup, this sabudana (sago/tapioca) appetizer is quick to make and absolutely mouthwatering.

Ingredients

Sabudana Layer

• 1 cup sago (sabudana or tapioca pearls)
• 3/4 cup peanut, coarse powder
• 1/2 cup colored peppers
• 2 tbsp oil or ghee
• 1 tsp green chili, chopped
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 4 curry leaves
• 1 tsp sugar, according to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp lemon juice, according to taste
• 2 tbsp cilantro leaves
• salt to taste

Potato Layer

• 2 cup potatoes,  boiled and diced in small pieces
• 1 1/2 tbsp oil or ghee
• 1 tsp chaat masala
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• lemon juice, according to taste
• salt according to taste
• 1 tbsp cilantro leaves

Toppings

• 3 tbsp pomegranate
• roasted snacks mixture (namkeen) or crumbled chips
• carrot, julienne
• ginger,  julienne
• beetroot, , julienne
• radish, julienne

Others

• tamarind chutney
• cilantro-mint chutney

Directions

1. Rinse sabudana pearls in cold water, 3-4 times till the water is clear and all starch is rinsed off. Soak them in a wide bowl for 3 to 4 hours, with enough water to just cover them. They will absorb water and double in size. Press them and check that they are not hard from inside. Now drain them completely and spread them on a kitchen towel till they are totally dry.
2. Heat oil/ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds and curry leaves, and let them splutter. Add colored peppers, green chili and sauté for a minute. Then add sabudana , peanut powder, sugar, black pepper, salt, lemon juice and cilantro leaves. Mix every thing well. When sabudana pearl looses their opaqueness and start becoming translucent, they are cooked . It should not take more then 2-3 minutes. Be careful, as over cooking can make them sticky and lumpy. Now,  switch off the flame, leave the pan covered for 2-3 minutes and then take it out in a bowl.
3. For the potato layer, heat oil/ghee in a pan. Add boiled potatoes and turmeric powder,  sauté on medium flame till they are golden brown in color and are crispy. Then add salt, chaat masala, lemon juice and cilantro.  Take it out in a bowl.
4.  Now, let’s set the tapas in cocktail cups. In the base, we will spread the tamarind chutney. Then layer it with sabudana pearls,  followed by a layer of potatoes. Add cilantro-mint chutney and layer it up with sabudana pearls again. Now dress it up with the toppings. Your Sabudana Tapas is ready.

Recipe Notes:

• There are so many varieties of sabudana available, which need to be soaked for different times, anywhere from 2 hours to overnight. So, you might need to experiment with the sabudana.
• Try to use thicker variety of sabudana pearls, as they will not stick together. You can also toss them with 1 tsp oil/ghee before cooking to avoid sticking or coat them with some peanut powder to absorb the moisture.
• Make sure sabudana pearls are completely dry by spreading them on a kitchen towel.
• Use enough oil/ghee for cooking, otherwise sabudana pearls will stick together due to lack of grease.
• Air Fryer Potato Layer – You can also air fry the potatoes, instead of pan roasting them. Just mix potatoes with 1 tbsp oil/ghee, salt, turmeric powder and air fry on 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes (time may vary). When done, add chaat masala, lemon juice and cilantro.

I’d love to hear how the recipe turned out and what you think  in the comment section below. Find me on and share your creation with me!