Javarisi Vartal | Sabakki Sondegay | Sundried Sago Crisps

Summer was one of the seasons I used to look forward to during my childhood. Like I mentioned earlier, we lived in a hill station and the seasons were - summer for 2 months, rainy season starts exactly when the school reopens after the summer vacation, autumn, and winter. Winters were cold but it never snowed there. The grass in our lawn used to have a layer of frost and I loved to hear the frost crackle when I walked over it in the morning.

It was over this lawn that mom and her friend used to lay out sheets of crisps to dry out in summer. I used to watch them sharing news and gossip while working under the hot sun.

So summers meant loads of vatral or sun dried crisps, guests who dropped in, often unannounced, to enjoy the cool summer and of course the summer hols....

Now that we have moved out of the place I loved, the summers are unbearable but somehow we do manage it.Here too, mom prepares sun dried crisps and now I assist mom in the process. Each summer I look forward to the time mom and I are going to spend in making these crisps. Of course, just like her other dishes, the sun dried crisps too are very special to me....

Today's post is one of my favorite sun dried crisp made out of sago and what I have written down is mom recipe for the same. These crisps were prepared last year and were sleeping in my drafts so long!

Mom uses:

Sago/ Javvarisi / Sabakki - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Green chillies- 5[adjust to suit your taste]
Asafoetida powder- a large pinch
Salt to taste
Lemon juice to taste

Soak the sago in enough water overnight.
Grind the green chillies and asafoetida to a fine paste adding a little water. Strain the water and throw away the paste if you don't like bits of green chillies in the crisp, else use as such.
The next morning heat 2 cups of water and put in salt and green chilli paste.
When the water comes to a rolling boil, add the drained sago.
Keep stirring on medium flame till the sago pearls are cooked.
It is always better to keep extra cups of hot water nearby.Some sago varieties use up more water. In that case add the hot water little by little.
When the sago is fully cooked, remove from heat. The consistency should neither be too thin or too thick.
When it turns luke warm add the lemon juice and mix well.[Adding too much lemon juice will turn the crisps red on frying. The crisps have to be white so add accordingly.]
If the consistency has turned thicker add a little hot water to loosen it up a bit.
Spread a plastic sheet in a sunny area.Place some heavy objects in the corners so that the sheet does not fly off.
Take spoon fulls of the mixture and spread it out lightly.It should not be spread too thin as it will stick to the sheet after it dries. If it is too thick then drying process will be prolonged. I guess this part comes with practise.
Leave it to dry all day long. Carefully bring in the sheet in the evening
The next morning, take it outside and flip the crisps to dry the other side.
If the crisps are fully dried, they will peel off automatically from the sheets.
Store in airtight containers....

Sun dried crisps

To use- Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Drop in a few crisps at a time and watch it expand! Remove from the oil using slotted ladle and serve with lunch / as a snack....