Kumbalakayi(Ash Gourd) Sandige

Ingredients:
1/2 medium sized(5-6 cups grated) Ash Gourd / Budu Kumbalakayi
12 - 15 cups Puffed Paddy Grains / Aralu / Hodalu
2 cups Black Gram seeds
1.5 - 2 cups Sago Pearls / Sabbakki
1 cup sour Buttermilk
2 cups Green Chillies
3/4 tsp Asafoetida powder or grape sized Asafoetida
Salt to taste

Recipe:

Peel the ash gourd, remove the inner part, seeds and grate it as shown in the picture below.

Soak black gram seeds in water for about 3-4 hrs. Wash them in water for 2-3 times and grind them into smooth paste by adding required amount of grated ash gourd/ ash gourd water.
Remove the stem of each green chilly, wash them and keep them aside. Grind the green chillies in a mixer by adding salt, asafoetida powder, little amount of grated ash gourd as shown in the picture below.
Soak sago pearls in water for about 3-4 hrs. Wash them, drain the water and add it to pressure cooker. Add 3-4 cups of water, salt and cook them well.(1-2 whistles)

Put ground green chillies, salt, ground black gram seeds, cooked sago pearl in a vessel. Add buttermilk and mix them well. Put grated ash gourd, puffed paddy grains in a mixer and grind them together for few seconds. Add this to the same vessel and mix them well.

Take one plastic sheet and put little amount of prepared batter as shown in the picture below.

Sun dry the Sandiges for about 5-6 days. Store them in an airtight container.

Fry this in oil and serve. It goes well with Rice and yogurt/curd/buttermilk. The above mentioned ingredients will serve around 200 Sandiges.