Potato and Sago Swirls

While there is summer in the Northern hemisphere, I want to continue with dehydrating series. After I made potato noodles, I tried my hands on to these bite size swirls/chakris/murakku made of potato and sabudana/sago pearls. My mom makes these in Mumbai every year. While she was here with me this summer, I got to learn so many family recipes from her.

WOW...Sun drying veggies and condiments to store for the entire year!! Not only the taste and crunch, but, we also enjoy basking ourselves in hot sun and making these unusual snack that is not available in store too.

Ingredients:
1 lb. Russet potatoes
1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes
1 cup sabudana/sago pearls
2 tbsp. ginger and green chilli paste
1+1/2 tbsp. salt

• Soak 1 cup sabudana in 1 cup water overnight.
• Boil and peel potatoes.
• Use a grater and grate potatoes in a large bowl.
• Add ginger and green chili paste, salt and soaked sabudana.
• Mix well.
• Use a charki press to fill the potato mixture.
• Spread a cotton cloth or bed sheet on a table or clean surface which would be in hot sun for most of the time of the day.
• Press the form roaund chakris or uneven swirls.
• Dehydrate charkis/swirls in hot sun for a day. Gently remove and flip then to dehydrate on the other side or place in a large tray. Next day place the chakris back in the sun so that they are not left with any moisture. Dry chakris can be stored in an air tight container for up to a year.  

To serve: Fry few dehydrates chakris in hot oil or spray some oil for 4-5 chakris and microwave for a minute. Serve crisp as a snack or a side with food.

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Soak 1 cup sabudana in 1 cup water overnight.
Boil and peel potatoes.
Use a grater and grate potatoes in a large bowl.
Add soaked sabudana.

Mix salt and green chilli and ginger paste.

Mix well.

This time we use a star shaped attachment in our chakri/murakku press.

Fill chakri press with potato mixture.

Spread a piece of clean cloth in a well sunny spot of your balcony or backyard.
Make small 2-3 inch diameter swirls. Nice bite size pieces as they dry.

What a treat!!

Almost ready...Dehydrated potato and saga swirls. Remove from the cloth and place in a large metal tray. Allow it dry another day in a metal tray to prevent any moisture in them.

Here is a big pile of dried potato snack.

They are all ready to be packed.
Place your order too and pick up your packet only in California (Bay Area).
This is a gourmet food and a traditional art of sun drying and storing snacks.

Deep fry in hot oil. It will take just 15-20 seconds to fry crisp.

Here is crunchy, bite size potato and sago swirl/ chakli to be enjoyed!

So make these soon and enjoy the heat!