Upwas batata kees | Sun dried grated potato hash

BATATA KEES /Sun dried potato hash :- 

This takes me down the memory lane of my childhood days when I stayed in uran .Summer is the season when women (especially in  maharashtra)prepare their yearly stock of pickles,moramba (mango jam),mango chunda   & walwan  ie dried items like papad ,sabudana chikodi(sago fryums), potato wafers ,sabudana aloo chakali (murukku) which can be used for fasting too ,kurdaya ,sandge, walaveli tondli etc.I remember my aaji  (moms mausi) used to fill big glass jars with pickles & handover jars to all her daughters .She would even prepare ambepoli ( wadi prepared from alphonso mango pulp), sun dried kokam sherbat,amboshi ,papads ,kurdais.My  mom prepares variety of pickles all round the year.

As a child I  too was a part of this program especially sabudana papad ,sabudana chakali ,sabudana chikodi & potato wafers (all can be eaten during fast (vrat/upwaas)  which my mausi used to prepare.My work was to dry these items on a cot ( a bed made of wood  &  coconut coir),turn the papads & keep a watch on sparrows,crows & silky (my favourite pamerean dog) that tried to feast these delicious dishes.In fact in uran the women used to schedule papad & collectively gather at each others place & make different kinds of papad. We get tasty urad ,poha,batata & sabudana papad in PEN a small town near alibag which is famous for ganesh murtis.

I love all four dishes but today want to post about batatyache kees .The word Kees in Marathi  means basically anything grated. Since here the grated item is potato (in marathi batata) it is called batatyacha kees.Pls click on sabudana chikodi & potato wafers to check my earlier posts for sabudana chikodi & potato wafers.

These can be eaten as normal snacks seasoned with your favourite flavour like red chilli powder /pepper  powder /chat masala or can be even used as a fasting food during sankashti,chaturthi,navratri.  in case of fasting you can sprikle salt & red chilli powder. The process for batatycha kees  &  BATATA wafers remains same .If you want kees simply grate the potatoes & slice them for wafers /chips .

Kees has  to be dried in sunlight for 3-4 days as if not completely dried they can catch fungus (burshi) & get spoilt. In hyderabad sunlight is too strong so my kees got dried in two days. The laborious & lengthy process is worth as you will get delicious & tasty kees .Also you can store them in airtight container for almost year.With the plentiful sunshine  you will have a bagful of golden crisp home made grated potato chips/sun dried potato hash/ Then spice and flavor them the way you want and fall in love with them.

Ingredients :

2 big Potatoes (preferably flat and long)

Salt

Anjali slicer / Mandoline

Summer sunlight

Oil to fry

Red chilli powder

Method:
1) Peel potatoes & keep them immersed in water as they will turn black.Use a slicer & grate the potatoes  directly in another bowl of water & change the water twice. Keep these grated potatoes in water  for say 10 minutes  till you boil water.

a close look

2) Next heat water in a kadhai /yok add 1 tsp salt  .Once water boils drop this grated potato (kees) in batches in boiling water  for 4-5 mins.

3) Immediately strain the kees on a chalni /strainer to drain off excess  water.

4) Once water is drained place the kees separately on a plastic sheet / plate and dry in sun for 4-5 days, Place kees in such a manner that they are not overcrowded & do not cling to each other every piece is separate  as shown in the image.

kees dried in sun

5) When they are totally dry, store in an air tight container.

6) Deep fry in oil, drain excess oil on kitchen towels and sprinkle with red chilli powder and salt or eat plain .

Tips :
1.You can even make falahari /upwas batata chiwada/chivada which is used to eat during fasting days  in maharashtra .