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!

Potato Sev

We have all heard the story of laborious ant who collects and saves food in the ant holes during summer to be used during winter. So true, we all do that. Summer is the time to not only relax and enjoy the heat, but the time to preserve food. Canning food, pickling veggies, freezing veggies or even dehydrating them.

Oh yes, you heard it right, dehydrating veggies that are readily available in summer to enjoy them during winter.

2 weeks ago, climate here was terrifically hot. Temperature almost reached 100 F. While my parents were here visiting us from India, it was time to take advantage of summer heat and make these dried potato sev/ noodles. These are our favorite. My mom makes these in India. but, I got to make these in CA for the first time :)

Start with large baking potatoes. We got a large 25 lb. potato bag from Costco :) Made some potato wafers and chakli. (will update all pictures and recipes)

It is important to use baking potatoes to get a non sticky potato consistency.

Boil them.

Use a grater to grate potatoes and get rid of any lumps or pieces.

Add salt and chilli powder to taste. Mix well.

Most important is a Sev, Noodle press.

Line it with thick sev attachment.

Make small portion for potato mixture to fit in the mold.

Spread a clean cloth or a dupatta on the terrace or in your balcony using the hottest spot utilizing longest time from sunrise to sunset. You should usually start making these noodles early in the morning before it gets too hot. You do not want to spend more time in heat while the sun is overhead.

We did it early by 9:00 am.

Make small portions of sev/ noodles and let them dry. They are eventually going to shrink as they dry out/dehydrate to form thin noodles.

By the end of the day: all dried in 6 hours.

Peel them carefully from the cloth. Place in a large plate. They might be slightly moist from below. Do not worry. Place in hot sun next day and see how they get crisp and dry to store for entire year.

Do not leave them moist.

All dried and ready to use.

Deep fry for 2-3 seconds in hot oil.

OR spray some oil and microwave for 10-15 seconds.

 Enjoy these crisp Potato snack!