Saat or fruit leathers

Saat or Fruit leather are made by drying the fruit pulp in the sun. This was the method of storing fruits for later use. Fruits with more water content such as watermelons and oranges can be reduced over a gas stove and then sun dried. Mango leathers can be used in the preparation of seafoods such as fish/prawns/clams sukhe, crab xecxec/ xacuti instead of kokum.

Ingredients  :

Fruit of your choice (jackfruit, banana, small  mangoes (amblio/ gonta) plums, persimmons, berries, strawberries with banana etc. )

Procedure:

If using jackfruit (juicy variety), remove the pods, tear it in between and discard the seeds and their jackets if possible. (For mangoes - amblio the small variety, discard the skin and the seeds; peel off bananas)

Then puree the pulp using a mixer jar into a smooth paste without using any water.

Pour the puree into steel plates or aluminium lids (about 5 - 6 tblsp) and spread all over maintaining about 3 - 4mm thickness. You will need around 8 plate for 1 jackfruit. 

And set it in the sun for drying for 4 to 5 days.

Run a knife around the circumference of the dried leathers and peel it off from the plate. If it becomes difficult to peel just put the bottom of the plate over a flame for a few seconds and then peel it out.