Stuffed Sago Fritters with Labneh – A fusion delicacy made with medium sago (sabudana), mashed potatoes, peanuts and green chillies. Stuffed with a thick and creamy Middle Eastern dip…Labneh, a creamy, dreamy, heavenly goodness.

Sago fritters A.K.A Sabudana vadas is one the most commonly made snacks in India during fasting days as part of a saatvik diet.Soft gelatinous pearls that melt in the mouth, the welcome crunch of roasted peanuts and the occasional surprise of diced green chillies, offset by the cool relief of thick curd—sabudana is a staple across households observing the ritual fasting during Navratri or if only eat saatvik food. A saatvik diet is a pure vegetarian diet which includes seasonal fresh fruits, ample amount of fresh vegetables, whole grain, pulses, sprouts, dried nuts, seeds, honey, fresh herbs, milk and dairy products.

Sago fritters are made with handful of ingredients, these mildly spiced vadas are crispy and crunchy on the outside and the soft centre gives them an amazing texture.

Using labneh as a filling in these traditional and very popular fritters adds a unique twist, making them even more exciting and quite different to anything you would have eaten before. The tangy, thick yogurt with Middle Eastern spices and herbs brings freshness and adds to the flavour of the spices used in the fritters. Perfect to serve at breakfast or as a tea time snack with coriander chutney or hot sauce.

What is Sago Pearls (Sabusana)??

Sago is a type of edible starch extracted from the pith or core of certain tropical palm trees. Sago is a dietary staple in areas of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea. In New Guinea and the Maluku Islands it is known as saksak, rabia, and sagu . Sago is commonly know as sabudana in India.

Sago can be purchased in two main forms — flour or pearls. While the flour is pure starch, the pearls are small balls of sago that are made by mixing the starch with water and partially heating them. They are available in 3 different sizes (small, medium and large), each used for different preparation.

What is Labneh ??

Labneh is a tangy, thick and creamy Middle eastern style yogurt made by straining Greek style yogurt at least overnight to remove the whey. It’s a common addition to mezze platters with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of spices. For detailed labneh description and recipe press the link. https://poetryofspices.com/easy-homemade-labneh-recipe/

Ingredients Used to Make Stuffed Sago Fritters with Labneh

Sago fritters are make with 3 main Ingredients:

1. Sago Pearls: This is the main ingredient, also known as sabudana. Use good quality , medium size sago pearls. They are easily available in most grocery stores. 
2. Boiled Potatoes:  They help bind the mixture together. Always cool the potatoes before mashing.
3. Peanuts: freshly roasted peanut, peeled and then coarsely pounded add flavour and nuttiness.
4. Spices, herbs & seasonings:  These fritters have are made with very simple, staple spices. You need red chilli powder, salt (sendha namak if making for fasting food), green chilies, coriander leaves, lemon juice, sugar (optional).
5. Oil: I use peanut oil for frying. 

Ingredients To make Labneh Filling

• Greek style yoghurt
• Salt
• Peanut Dukkah – coriander seeds, sesame seeds, peanuts, cumin seeds, & salt
• Coriander

What is Dukka ? and how to Make Peanut Dukkah

Dukkah (duqqa), pronounced doo-kah, is a traditional Egyptian blend of nuts, seeds, and warm spices. It’s been around since the age of ancient Egypt, but it is now widely popular throughout the Middle East. It’s a staple in many households as a condiment to eat with bread and olive oil.

1. Place a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Dry roast the sesame seeds, stirring continuously until fragrant. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Repeat with the spices and peanuts, placing each in a separate bowl to cool as you go.
2. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the toasted ingredients one at time until coarsely ground . Place in a bowl and stir in the salt. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Step by Step Pictures of making Stuffed Sago Fritters with Labneh:

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Helpful Tips and Tricks to Make Labneh stuffed Sago Fritters:

• Soaking the Sago : Soaking the sago overnight gives the best results. Soaking for 4 to 6 hours will also do, depending on the quality of sago. The older the pearls the more time they will take to soak.
• Ratio of sago to water : The ratio of sago to water is 1:0.75 or 1:1. The sago will absorb all the water.
• To check if the sago is soaked and ready to use – Take a piece of sago pearl and press it between your thumb and index finger. It should mash easily and there should be no hard center. If they have a hard center soak for another 1 hour and check.
• Other Additions: ginger, curry leaves and mint leaves all are great additions to these sago fritters.
• Boiled potatoes:  Overcooking the potatoes will make them mushy and boiled potatoes with too much moisture will make the fritters soggy. Boil potatoes until they are fork-tender. When done right, boiled potatoes help to bind the vada together and prevent them from breaking. Mash the potatoes while they are warm for an easier and smoother consistency. 
• Prep in advance: To quicken the process, you can prep the peanuts ahead of time or buy the already roasted unsalted peanuts. The best way to crush the peanuts is in a mortar and pestle as it allows you to get the right level of coarseness.
• Binding : Generally potatoes bind the fritters very well but in case, your fritters are breaking in the oil, you may add some tapioca starch or rice flour to bind them. But if you are making for fasting days replace it with buckwheat flour.
• If you don’t want to deep fry your fritters you can pan fry them or use an air fryer. The texture though will be very different. 

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Stuffed Sago Fritters with Labneh

Serves: 20 Fritters Prep Time: 25 Minutes Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 6 voted )

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Ingredients

For the fritters:

• • 1 cup sago, rinsed and soaked
  • ¾ cup potatoes, boiled and mashed
  • ½ cup roasted peanuts, roasted & crushed
  • 2-3 tbsp coriander, chopped
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 green chillies, chopped
  • ½ tsp red chilli powder
  • ½ tsp salt

For the stuffing:

• ½ cup labneh
• 2 tbsp peanut dukka
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• 2 tsp coriander, chopped

For making Peanut Dukkah (makes ½ cup)

• • ¼ cup raw white sesame seeds
  • ¼ cup raw skinless unsalted peanuts
  • 1.5 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1.5 tbsp cumin seeds
  • ½ tsp aleppo pepper (optional)
  • ½ tsp fine salt

method

For the Sago Fritters:

1. Rinse sago seeds with water. Put them in a large bowl and add  ¾ cup of water. Cover and keep aside in a cool dry place to soak overnight or minimum for 4 hours. 
2. In the morning, the sago seeds would have absorbed all the water and will double in size and become fluffy Check if sago is soaked well by pressing one of the pearl between your thumb and index finger. It should mash and have no hard center. If they have a hard centre add ¼ cup of water and soak for another 1 hour and check.
3. Put sago in a large mixing bowl along with mashed potatoes, roasted peanuts, coriander, green chilies, red chilli powder, salt and lemon juice and mix everything together. Keep aside.

Making Dukkah (makes ½ cup)

1. Place a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Dry roast the sesame seeds, stirring continuously until fragrant. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Repeat with the spices and peanuts, placing each in a separate bowl to cool as you go.
2. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the toasted ingredients one at time until coarsely ground – you don’t want a fine powder. Place in a bowl and stir in the salt. Keep in an airtight container for up to a month. 

For the Labneh

1. Tie the curd in a muslin cloth and carefully squeeze out as much whey as possible and then leave it in a strainer or tie the curd for at least overnight.
2. In a mixing bowl add the labneh, peanut dukkah, chopped green chilli, chopped coriander leaves. Mix well. 
3. Divide into 20 equal parts and shape into small round balls. keep aside. 

Making the Fritters

1. Divide the mixture into 20 equal parts. Make them into round balls then flatten them with your fingers, put the stuffing in the centre (as shown in the picture) and fold over, making them into balls making sure the stuffing is not oozing out. Seal it well. Flatten a bit with your palms. Do not put a lot of pressure or they will crack. Repeat same for the rest.
2. Heat oil on medium heat in a kadai or wok. Add the fritters to the oil one by one, don't overcrowd. Maintain the oil temperature at medium heat.
3. Fry fritters on medium heat until golden brown and crispy from both sides. Drain on paper towel.
4. Serve sago fritters with Coriander Chutney or hot sauce.

 

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