The South Indian Summer Ritual of Sandige
Traditional south Indian fried snacks meant homemade sandige. A communal activity that involved extended family coming together to make large batches of sandige, laid out to dry on rooftops under the scorching sun, then carefully distributed and stored, to be enjoyed through the year. Rashmi Gopal Rao on Karnataka's most popular fried snacks.
In Hyderabad, where the heat is unforgiving, summers meant a break from school, loads of buttermilk, mango, and tagging along with mom on the annual ritual of making sandige (Kannada for vadams or fryums). The earthy flavour of puffed paddy rice, the aroma of spices from boiling sago, and the sweltering heat of the terrace floor sum up my childhood summers. Times have changed, lifestyles have shifted; I moved from an independent house into a smaller apartment, and from Hyderabad to Bangalore, where the summers are cooler. But come summer, and those joyful memories are incentive enough to make sandige again, although the batch size considerably shrinks with each passing year!
The Perfect Accompaniment
Sandige or vadam is made from basic ingredients like rice, wheat and sago, and flavoured with spices like cumin, asafoetida and chilli. Variations include the addition of vegetables like pumpkin, onion, garlic and green chillies. Once prepared, they are then sun-dried, to be stored through the year; fished out and deep-fried at meal-time.
Sandige has an intrinsic quality that can perk up any meal, as simple as rasam rice or even the humble curd rice. These fryums and crisps have stood the test of time, and still hold their own against more modern processed and ready-to-eat foods. “I prefer to fry up a packet of sago vadams rather than allow my children to eat the new age chips that are loaded with preservatives,” says Priya Rao, 40 a working professional and mother of two in Mysore. Given that sandige is made from ingredients that are all natural with salt, chillies and lime being the main components that act as preservatives, it is certainly the healthier choice.
A Family Ritual
The ritual of making sandige is generations old. “It was an exercise that was done almost every week during summers. Those days, we lived in a joint family and all the elders would be involved in the preparation of the main gruel. Extra help would also be called for on sandige-making days, and it was an exciting time for us children. The gruel would be carefully laid out on manthrai leaves on the terrace and we were assigned the coveted task of guarding the vadams from birds and other insects,” says septuagenarian Parimala Kalyani who lived in a household of close to 40 people in Basavanagudi.
It was made in large batches not only to cater to the needs of a large joint family, but because stocks had to last the entire year. “Fried stuff, for us, meant only these condiments that were homemade. We never had access to the plethora of burgers, nuggets and smileys that are children are so used to these days” adds Parimala Kalyani.
Sago and Rice: The Essentials
Most vadams prepared in Karnataka use sago or rice as the main ingredient. The sago or sabudana sandige is one of the most popular, given that it is the simplest to make. Sago pearls are washed, and made into thin gruel with water. Salt, hing and a few other spices are added, and with the back of a spoon, spread into roundels on a plastic sheet or butter paper. In order for the vadams to retain their milky white colour, lime juice is added (which also enhances the taste). Depending on the spices added, vadams are either plain white or have specks of brown (cumin) or red (ground red chillies) or even a tinge of green (green chillies). The quintessential accompaniment to every meal, or as a tea time snack, few dishes are more popular than the sabudana sandige.
Another variety that is prepared in many households is the akki peni sandige which is a vadam made from rice flour and powdered sago. One portion of sago cooked in water, and about three portions of rice flour, to which green chilli paste and hing is added, and cooked until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. The hot mixture is divided into balls and loaded onto a chakli press. Using a sieve, the mixture is pressed onto plastic sheets and sundried. Depending on the sieve used, you can either roll out the mixture like idiyappam (string hoppers) or as long ribbons.
Arguably one of the most delectable varieties of sandige in Karnataka is the Aralu sandige which is made from puffed paddy. The puffed rice is thoroughly cleaned for husks and other particles, washed and mixed with a thin sago gruel. Finely chopped raw pumpkin or onion and green chillies are added to the mixture, which is then divided into small, flat portions that left out to sundry. The puffed rice adds a unique crunch and a distinctive flavour to these vadams that make it truly special.
Coastal Delights
Vadams are a key component in Udupi, Mangalorean and Konkani cuisine as well. Coastal summers are spent industriously making onion-garlic and ragi (finger millet) sandige. Soaked raw rice is ground into a paste along with red chillies, hing and salt. The batter is transferred into a large pan and cooked slowly to form a slurry, into which finely chopped onion or garlic is added. The batter is allowed to cool, and is then spread into small portions and sundried. Ragi sandige is made using the same process but with ragi flour instead of rice. It is important to salt with a delicate hand, as these vadams shrink considerably once they dry, and therefore tend to become quite salty – always safer to under-salt while making the batter!
Another delicacy of this region is the Genasina (sweet potato) and Halasina (jackfruit) happalas or pappads. More tad tedious and demanding to prepare, these pappads are a delicious seasonal speciality. Sweet potatoes are boiled without water, crushed and then mixed with spices like red chillies, hing and salt to form a smooth paste. This is then divided into lemon-sized balls and rolled out using a press or rolling pin, and finally sun dried. The same process is followed with jackfruit as well, but the key lies in selecting fruit that is neither be too raw or too ripe.
RECIPE: RASHMI GOPAL RAO’S ARALU SANDIGE
Ingredients
4 cups puffed paddy rice
½ cup sago pearls
1 cup finely chopped onion OR finely chopped white pumpkin
2 tsp green chillie paste or finely chopped
Salt, to taste
Method
Clean the puffed paddy rice and remove any remnants of husk and other particles
Soak the puffed rice in water and transfer into a bowl by squeezing out the water with your hands. Add salt and the rest of the ingredients.
Wash the sago pearls and transfer to a pan. Add water and cook till the grains become translucent and the mixture forms a thin gruel.
Pour the sago gruel onto the mixture in the bowl. This is used to bind the puffed paddy rice grains together. Mix well.Wet your hands and divide the mixture into small, flat portions.
Place on butter paper or a greased plate and allow to sun-dry thoroughly for at least 3 days. The vadams may need to be turned on alternate days so that they are dried out completely
Deep fry and enjoy with meals or tea/coffee time
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