LOTUS ROOT CHIPS (VEGAN, POTATO-FREE, GLUTEN-FREE)
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| BEAUTIFUL GOLDEN SAND DOLLARS FOR YOUR MOUTH HOLE! |
I'm really tempted to end every sentence in this post with an exclamation point, regardless of how appropriate it would be. (See the restraint I just used there?) Consider it implied from hence forward. A few weeks ago I fermented some vegetables, and shared the results here. One of my recipes used lotus root, an extremely fibrous root used in traditional Asian fare which is typically boiled or stir-fried. One of the many ways that I enjoyed the results of that experiment was to make chips with the thinly sliced lotus root, and I was so (ahem, edit) excited by the result. My mind was a wee bit blown. See, I love potato chips. If I buy a bag of chips, I finish the entire bag within the hour. I'm talking family sized bags of chips. Problem is, as is often the case with foods I love, potatoes and I don't get along so well, so chips have been off of my shopping list for a while now. I've tried making chips with other root vegetables before, but they never come out crispy for me. These came out wonderfully crispy and beautiful (do you see that picture up there?), and because of being fermented for a number of days, they tasted like the sea salt and vinegar chips that I crave (and deny myself in order to appease my health) so much. And, lucky for us all, it's so easy to make that it hardly requires a recipe. The longest step is soaking the root, which requires no attention at all. I can not wait to pick up another root at the Korean market and make up another batch.
LOTUS ROOT CHIPS
LOTUS ROOT, PEELED & THINLY SLICED
VINEGAR OR MARINADE OF YOUR CHOICE (If not using fermented root from my recipe here)
SEA SALT (Again, if not using the root from my recipe)
HIGH HEAT OIL OR GHEE TO GREASE BAKING SHEET (I used coconut oil)
FERMENT ROOT OR SOAK IN VINEGAR OR MARINADE OF CHOICE FOR 24+ HOURS. PREHEAT OVEN TO 400 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. GREASE BAKING SHEET WITH OIL OR GHEE, AND LAY ROOT SLICES OUT FLAT ON SHEET. BAKE UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN, FLIPPING ONCE IF NEEDED, 5-10 MINUTES.
11 comments:
i love your blog, i want to try all of your recipes <3
Oh, thank you so much Cristina! I hope that you do try all of them, and that you tell me all about it. I'm happy that you found your way here!
of course :) i find your blog really inspiring and beautiful. and delicious :x
I'm so very happy to hear it. Thanks be for taking the time to let me know!
This sounds excellent. Just to be sure I understand, you basically lacto-pickle the sliced root, then bake your pickles? Brilliant. I like the idea of non-greasy "salt & vinegar" because I too have a tendency to demolish any bag I open :(
Yes! You got it. I was amazed at how well it worked without frying. Even the way the chips look almost bubbled like they do when fried blew my mind. I hope you are able to enjoy them sometime in the not too distant future!
Do you need to soak the slices before cooking?
I love bbq chips but can't have vinegar. Any other suggestions for marinade?
Well, if you aren't using lotus root that you have fermented yourself without vinegar? For a BBQ flavor, I would probably try marinading them in Coconut Aminos (or Bragg's or Soy Sauce if you tolerate them), maybe some crushed mustard seed, paprika, turmeric, sea salt and black pepper. (Maybe a touch of maple syrup, agave, honey, coconut sap, stevia or some other sweetener, too.) If you can tolerate liquid smoke, that could be great, otherwise I'd make them smoky by using a really smoky paprika (many specialty shops carry different varieties) and/or smoked sea salt. I'd marinade them in that for more than 24 hours for stronger flavor. That would be my best guess anyway...good luck!
Is there such a thing as organic lotus root (or phool mahkana)? At my grocery store they have frozen lotus root but it's from China and I don't know anything about their farming practices. Help!
Hi, just wondering if the lotus stem/bark could be a substitute for lotus root in making this deliciously looking chips? thank you
Meredith Baker, I'm so sorry for my stupidly late reply. I've wondered the same thing. I've seen it at Whole Foods, but there isn't any specifying of the origin or method of farming, so I don't know that it's any different from what you find at Asian markets. I do think that we do take that risk when we shop at some ethnic markets. A friend of mine who works for the FDA told me once that the pesticide level in Indian food products, for example, was very high relative to our own--I didn't ask about other origins. I admit that in some cases, I put on my blinders to enjoy something different. (And in some cases cheaper options, as I've preferred to buy large cheap bags of alternative flours at Indian markets instead of health food markets, where they can be so costly.)
Romar Sanchez, I wasn't sure of the structure of those parts of the plant, so I just looked them up, and by all appearances the stem and the root are the same thing? Or the same structure? I can't quite tell, but if so, that looks promising. I don't know about the bark, though. Let me know if you figure it out! Thanks!
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