Sabudana Papad

Summer time, schools closed, and nostalgic moments. As kids we used to help mom in making dehydrated snacks and pickles. More than helping, it was a chance to taste/eat stuff that is being dried in the hot sun. Half dried potato wafers and chakli, half dried sabudana papad, and drying salted raw mangoes for pickling were all just so delicious. We would be on duty to shuuuu away crows and birds as they would peck on drying food. How I remember those amazing childhood days!!!

I still keep up the tradition and learn and make all the recipes that I have ever enjoyed as a child. These traditional/family recipes are to be treasured for the future generations. All these dehydrated snacks/fryums are fun to eat. Living away from India, it is not always possible to bring our favorite food. So since past few years we have been taking advantage of hot California summer to dehydrate veggies and also make dehydrated snacks to store for the entire year. Just like last summer, this summer too I had great response on dehydrated snack orders. With my mom being here, we both could make lot of chakli, papad, and sev for orders that we received. We are very happy to receive positive feedback on them.

When we made the first batch of sabudana papad which is usually made on a plastic/polythene sheet, my husband was not very happy. He wanted me to create a recipe without using plastic. Most people avoid plastic, and specially in this case, plastic sheet would have to remain in hot sun while papad would dry and hazardous chemicals that would be released. I then tried on aluminum sheets, which did not work as I did not grease the surface. They were difficult to peal off from a non greasy surface. One afternoon, it was an Eureka moment for me :) I called my husband who was at work, and told him that I had found a non-toxic/safe way to make sabudana papad and would be able to take orders to supply good safe products to the community. Yes, I used food safe silicon mats to dehydrate sabudana mixture and make papads... the ones that can be used for high baking temperatures!

Check out other dehydrated recipes:

Ingredients to make sabudana papad to store for the entire year.

2 cups sabudana

1+1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. cumin seeds

2 tbsp. ginger and green chili paste

Soak 2 cups of sabudana in 2 cups of water overnight or 4-5 hours till they are fluffy.

Remove in a large container and add 8 cups of water. Add salt and on medium heat bring the mixture to boil. Once it starts to boil, simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally so that it attains a good syrupy consistency and develops starch and turns translucent. 

Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool. 

On cooling the mixture will thicken and sabudana will turn transparent.

While still slightly warm, add cumin seeds and ginger and green chili paste.

Mix well.

On a silicon mat or heat resistant surface pour a spoonful of mixture. Let the papad dry completely under hot sun. May take 1-3 days depending on the heat. Flip and dry if needed.

When dry, store in clean, dry container.

Fry in hot oil and sprinkle chili powder and chaat masala as per your taste.

Enjoy!

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Soak 2 cups of sabudana in 2 cups of water overnight or 4-5 hours till they are fluffy.

Remove in a large container and add 8 cups of water. Add salt and on medium heat bring the mixture to boil. Once it starts to boil simmer for 10 minutes so that it attains a good syrupy consistency and develops starch and turns translucent.

Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool. 

On cooling, the mixture will thicken and sabudana will turn transparent.

While still slightly warm, add cumin seeds and ginger and green chili paste.

Mix well.

On a silicon mat or heat resistant surface pour a spoonful of mixture. Let the papad dry completely under hot sun. May take 1-3 days depending on the heat. Flip and dry if needed.

When dry, store in clean, dry container.

When dry, store in clean, dry container.

Fry in hot oil and sprinkle chili powder and chaat masala as per your taste.

Enjoy these FRYUMS!!!

Sambhariyu

Every culture and family has their way for cooking veggies. According to the region people belong to and the climate, these veggies and stuffed with spices and then cooked. In my last recipe, veggies were stuffed with sesame seeds and peanuts.

Sambhariyu is also a stuffed veggie recipe belonging to the Gujarat or Kutch (a district in Gujarat, western India) In this recipe chickpea flour/ besan is seasoned with spices and then stuffed in veggies eventually slow cooked to perfection. What makes it special is the combination of sweet, sour, and spice in the stuffing!

Sambhariyu is usually served with roti, rice, and dal or kadhi, but I love it as is as a side. It is very important to slow cook the veggies and toss them lightly to prevent them from breaking. And, while mom is here, it was Sambhariyu time last week.

Ingredients (Serves 5-6)
Veggies to stuff: (you can change the quantities depending on your family's preference) 
12 small to medium sized potatoes
6-7 small to medium onions
10-15 tindora
10-15 bhindi/okra
3-5 small brinjals/ eggplants
3-5 long green chilies

For stuffing
2+1/2 cup besan/ chickpea flour
1/2 cup oil
3 tsp. salt
1 tsp. turmeric
1-2 tbsp. red chili powder (depending on the spice)
4 tbsp. coriander powder
1/4 tsp. hing/asofoetida
1 cup finely minced gud/jagerry
Juice of 2 lemons
2-3 tbsp freshly chopped coriander

• Wash and dry all the veggies. Peel potatoes and onions. Keep them aside. Slit all the veggies to stuff them with the stuffing.
• In a large bowl or plate mix all ingredients for the stuffing. Mix them really well.
• Stuff the stuffing into every slit veggie and keep it aside.
• Heat a large pan and add 1/2 cup oil in it.
• Once the oil is heated arrange the stuffed veggies in order of their cooking time. Potatoes and tindora go in first at the bottom. Cover and cook on low heat for 5-6 minutes. Open and toss the veggies.
• Then add stuffed onions and eggplants. Cover and cook for another 5-6 minutes. Remove the lid and toss the veggies lightly.
• Next add stuffed okra/bhindi and green chili. Cover and cook again. Remove the lid and toss the veggies. If there is any extra stuffing remaining, add it on top of the cooking veggies. Cover and cook again for 5-6 minutes or till done.
• Serve with roti.

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Wash and dry all the veggies. Peel potatoes and onions. Keep them aside. Slit all the veggies to stuff them with the stuffing.

In a large bowl or plate mix all ingredients for the stuffing. Mix them really well.

Stuff the stuffing into every slit veggie and keep it aside.

Heat a large pan and add 1/2 cup oil in it.

Once the oil is heated arrange the stuffed veggies in order of their cooking time. Potatoes and tindora go in first at the bottom. Cover and cook on low heat for 5-6 minutes. Open and toss the veggies.

Then add stuffed onions and eggplants. Cover and cook for another 5-6 minutes. Remove the lid and toss the veggies lightly.

Next add stuffed okra/bhindi and green chili. Cover and cook again. Remove the lid and toss the veggies. If there is any extra stuffing remaining, add it on top of the cooking veggies. Cover and cook again for 5-6 minutes or till done.

Enjoy Gujarati Sambhariyu!

Bharwo

Although Gujarati cuisine consists of an elaborate meal which is difficult to cook and eat on regular basis, weekends are the times to enjoy a full-fledged or almost a full-fledged thali. My husband is a foodie, and he surely enjoys good food. One of his favorite childhood menu is my mother-in-laws special Bharwo which is elaborately served with dal, kadhi, rice, and roti. Some of the traditional/family recipes and cooking styles and worth learning and adapting in daily life. And after cooking this special meal, it is also fun to serve it is style.

Bharwo means stuffed. Here the veggies are stuffed with a mixture of spices and then slow cooked. This bharwo recipe is slightly different from the traditional gujarati bharwo or sambhariyu which I will be posting next. The stuffing of peanuts, sesame seeds and spices flavor the veggies well and the aroma is amazingly appetizing. You should try this recipe, even if you do not serve it like we do at home, roti and bharwo veggies are just too delicious to go wrong.

Ingredients to make Bharwo for 4-5 people
10-12 small potatoes
5-6 small eggplants
5-6 small-medium onions or 3 large onions cut into half
1+1/2 cup peanuts
3/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup shredded coconut
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp. chili powder
1+1/2 tbsp sugar
2-3 tbsp. lemon juice
3/4 cup oil

• Dry roast peanuts and sesame seeds separately and keep them aside.
• When cooled gently rub peanuts in your palm to remove the skin.
• Powder roasted sesame seeds and roasted peanuts and mix them together.
• Add shredded coconut, salt, turmeric, chili powder, sugar, and lemon juice. Mix the stuffing well. This is the only time spices and salt can be added so take a taste test and add if needed.
• Peal potatoes and onions and slit them. Make two cross slits into the eggplant.
• Gently open the veggies and stuff with stuffing.
• Stuff all the veggies and keep them in a plate. Keep extra stuffing aside as it will be needed for later.
• Heat a heavy bottom pan. Add oil and heat well. Add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and pinch of hing/asoefotida.
• Place potatoes first and then eggplants. Cover with a large plate with water over it. This traditional method of cooking helps veggies to cook evenly. Cook on low heat for 5-7 minutes.
• Remove the lid/plate, gently flip veggies and make some space for stuffed onions. Cover once again with a plate of water. Cook for 5 minutes.
• Remove the plate and toss veggies gently. Add remaining stuffing mixture over the veggies. Cover and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
• Serve hot with rotis, rice, dal, and kadhi.
• Enjoy!!

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Dry roast peanuts and sesame seeds separately and keep them aside.

Peal potatoes and onions and slit them. Make two cross slits into the eggplant.

Powder roasted sesame seeds and roasted peanuts and mix them together.

Add shredded coconut, salt, turmeric, chili powder, sugar, and lemon juice. Mix the stuffing well. This is the only time spices and salt can be added so take a taste test and add if needed.

Gently open the veggies and stuff with stuffing.

Stuff all the veggies and keep them in a plate. Keep extra stuffing aside as it will be needed for later.

Heat a heavy bottom pan. Add oil and heat well. Add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and pinch of hing/asoefotida.

Place potatoes first and then eggplants. Cover with a large plate with water over it. This traditional method of cooking helps veggies to cook evenly. Cook on low heat for 5-7 minutes.

Remove the lid/plate, gently flip veggies and make some space for stuffed onions. Cover once again with a plate of water. Cook for 5 minutes.

Remove the plate and toss veggies gently. Add remaining stuffing mixture over the veggies. Cover and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Serve hot with rotis, rice, dal, and kadhi.

Enjoy!!