Sago chips (sun dried and deep fried)

These sago chips are very moreish - once you deep fry them, the hard translucent wafers puff up, turn white . The crispy chips just melt in the mouth. Traditionally, they are served as part of a meal, providing the crunch element (much like papadams), but they are also a very tasty snack and a vegetarian alternative to prawn crackers.

This is my father's recipe as taught to my mother who used to make large batches of these and sun dried potato chips. Made once a year and stored in airtight containers, ready to be deep fried when needed.

Ingredients

• • 1 cup sago

  • 6-7 cups water

  • 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

  • 1 fresh chilli, finely chopped (optional)

  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (optional)

  • 1/4 tsp asafoetida

Method

• 1. Put 6 cups of water in a large pot, add the salt and bring to boil.

  2. Slowly add the sago, stirring as you add them to the water so they don't clump together. 

  3. Simmer uncovered until the sago is cooked - stirring occasionally and adding more water if it starts to go gluggy before the sago is cooked. Sago is cooked when it turns translucent - there should be no white bits.

  4. Add the chilli and/or cumin seeds (if using) and the asafoetida. Stir well, taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

  5. Place a card or trestle table in the sun and cover with a large piece of clean cloth or sheet that has been dampened. 

  6. Drop teaspoonfuls of the sago on the cloth and flatten with the back of the spoon. The mixture is very gluggy and it's easier to do with two spoons. 

  7. Leave in the sun to dry out completely. Depending on the weather, this may take up to two days (don't leave it out overnight). When dry, the sago will be hard and stuck firmly to the cloth. To remove the sago from the cloth, sprinkle the underside of the cloth with water. Then gently peel off the sago from the dampened cloth. Put the sago pieces on a large tray(s) in a single layer and leave in the sun until it's completely dry.

  8. Store in an airtight container (will keep for at least a year).

  9. Deep fry in hot oil as needed.

Notes

• 1. I usually pick a very hot summer's day and start early in the morning. This way, they're dry by sunset. I peel them off the cloth in the evening and lay them on a large tray. Next morning, I place the tray of sago pieces out in the sun to dry.

  2. When peeling the dried sago pieces from the cloth, work on small sections at a time. Have a bowl of tap water and wet the underside of the cloth, making sure the area under each sago is damp. The turn the cloth over and working around the edges, loosen the dried sago from the cloth. 

  3. Make sure the sago pieces are completely dry before storing in an airtight container. 

  4. When frying:

• Make sure the oil is hot and don't put too many at once - allow room for the wafers to puff up. 

• Remove from oil as soon as they puff up and turn white (in under 10 seconds).

• Drain well. Whenever I deep fry anything, I use a large strainer over a container to drain the food.