Impossibly Crunchy Yucca Chips!!!

Kappa Kizhangu Chips:(Kerala Style)

Yucca Tubers Chips, Cassava Tubers Chips.Manioc Chips Maravalli Kizhangu Chips. Kuchi Kizhangu Chips. Tapioca Chips. Impossibly crunchy homemade chips!!!

Manihot esculenta is the Botanical name of this plant. Where they have modified tap root...rich in starch(Yes, like potato). Its eaten in many parts of the world today, but traces its origin to South America.

In India, it is often associated with famine food'. During depression, people mainly sustained with just few tapioca plants planted at their backyard...the starchy tubers satisfied their hunger.

Nothing fancy today, just spotted this tubers at Korean market', manipulated it in quite number of ways, but the best results came, when I intended to do the chips!!! Yeah, it did turn out very crispy, than I thought it would be! It was bit tricky to slice them thin, but patience is virtue, right.

Ingredients:

Tapioca roots 1 large
Salt
Dash of chili powder
Crisply fried curry leaves few
Oil for deep frying(Want ethnic flavor? Use coconut oil for frying).

Method:

Peel and then slice them thinly. Set aside.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Fry these in hot oil. Few at a time.:)

Now, to the fried chips add salt, chili powder and curry leaves. Mix well and store in an air tight container.:)

Enjoy with tea. It serves as a good muchie, while watching TV, reading a book (should I even say that!).

Senakkizhangu Chips:

Senai-Kizhangu Chips. Senai Kizhangu Pakodi.Senai Chips.Senaikizhangu Chips. Karunai-kizhangu Chips. Yam Chips.

Ingreidients:

Yam 1/4 kilo
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Tamarind paste 1/2 spoon
Oil for depp frying
Curry leaves - crisply fried to garnish.

Method:

Peel the skin-off! Better apply oil before doing so...the veggie is pricky sometimes. Its rich in potasium and calicium deposits!

Now slice them down to thin squares/Rectangles.

Combine salt, turmeric, chili and tamarind paste and apply this to this chips. Let this sit for 2-4 hours. During this resting period...tamarind dissolves the calcium deposits in the roots! Pretty good huh!

Heat oil in a deep frying pan, Fry few chips at a time. Maybe till it turns brown and crisp!

Leave these over kitchen tissues for a while, Garnish with fried curry leaves as well.

Serve warm as a side dish! Tastes better with South Indian Meals.

Chembu Chips:

Sembu Chips.Sepankizhangu Chips. Chepang-kizhangu Chips. Arvi Chips. Collacassia / Taro Roots chips.

Ingreidients:

Sembu/Taro Roots 1/4 kilo
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Tamarind paste 1/2 spoon
Oil for depp frying
Curry leaves - crisply fried to garnish.

Method:

Peel the skin-off from taro roots! Better apply oil before doing so...the veggie is pricky sometimes. Its rich in potasium and calicium deposits!

Now slice them down to thin roundels.

Combine salt, turmeric, chili and tamarind paste and apply this to the chips. Let this sit for 2-4 hours. During this resting period...tamarind dissolves the calcium deposits in the roots! Pretty good huh!

Heat oil in a deep frying pan, Fry few chips at a time. Maybe till it turns brown and crisp!

Leave these over kitchen tissues for a while, Garnish with fried curry leaves as well.

Serve warm as a side dish! Makes better choice with South Indian Meals.

Vazhaikai Chips:

Plantain Chips. Arattikaya Pakodi. Kacha Kela Ka Chips.

Ingredients:

Raw Plantain 1 large and slender
Salt
Pepper powder(fresh)
Oil for deep frying.

Method:

Slice the plantains into thin slices. Leave them in cold water until cooking/frying.

Now heat oil in a frying pan. When the oil is smoky hot...fry few slices till crisp.

Fry only few at a time. Do not crowd the oil. Always maintain the stove over medium heat. Leave the chips over kitchen tissues for a while.

Repeat the same for all the remaining batches.

Sprinkle salt and pepper while they are still warm.

Placing them in microwave is also a good idea, to make it extra crisp!

Serve as a snack/appetizers.

Cucumber-Tomato Salsa:

Ingredients:

Tomatoes 4 large diced(if needed cored - seeds removed)
Green Chilies 3 (if you dont like it hot - cored - seeds removed)
Capsicum 1 small fienly chopped
Cucumber 1(peeled, cored and finely chopped)
Banana chilies(beach/bajji milagai) finely chopped
Lime 1 - juice (lime is raw lemon - green in color)
Cilandro/ Coriander leaves few chopped
Garlic 2 cloves peeled and chopped
Purple onion 1 small diced
Salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil few spoons.

Method:

In a blender add 50% of the above said ingredients and blend to thick puree.

Then mix witht the reserve 50% .

Serve chilled with 'Tortilla chips.

Salsa Verde:(Mexican Style)

Ingredients:

Tomatillos 6
Onion 1 small
Green peppers/jalapenos 3
Cucumber 1 small
Salt
Lime juice 1 spoon
Cilantro leaves few.

Method:

Chop 50% of tomatillos and cucumbers and set aside.

Blend all the remaining ingredients and 50% of cucumber and toamtillo togather in a food processor.

Now mix them togather.

Serve chilled with tortilla chips as an evenning snack.

Mango Salsa - Reminds Me Of Summer:)

Mango Salsa:(Mexican Style)

Mangoes are treated for depression in folk remedy! I can't say I am depressed now! Its just another lousy rainy day here! Felt bored....so looked into my pantry and came up with this idea! Salsa....tangy mangoes can go well into it! What else can make a rainy day perfect...more than a bag of chips and Mango Salsa:)

Ingredients:

Mango ripe and firm 1-2 (diced)
Tomato 1 large(de seed, and diced)
Green peppers 1-2 (de seed and diced)
Red Peppers 1-2 (de seed and diced)
Purple Onion 1 small bulb - diced (I skipped it)
Capsicum/Bell peppers 1 diced
Cilantro leaves few
Lemon juice few spoons
Salt

Method:

Mix all the above mentioned ingredients together, gently.

Allow this to sit in the refrigerator for couple of hours.

Serve chilled as dip for corn chips.

Tomato Salsa:(Version 1)

Ingredients:

Country Tomatoes 6-8
Banana Chilies/Bajji Milagai 1
Bell peppers/Capsicum 1
Purple Onion 1 large
Cucumber 1 small peeled
Serrano Peppers/Green Chilies 2
Jalapenos 2
Garlic 2
Lime 1 fruit
Vinegar few spoons
Cilantro Leaves 1/4 cup
Salt.

Method:

Chop all the above veggies roughly. Mix salt, lime juice and vinegar.

Now take about 30% of the above mixture and blend in the food processor.

Combine them again. Let this sit for 2 hours.

Serve chilled or at room temperature as a dip for corn chips.

Pavakkai Chips:

Bitter Gourd Chips. Bitter Melon CHips. Bitter Melon Fried. Karela Chips. Kakarkai Chips.

Ingredients:

Bitter gourd 2-4 small thin variety
Lemon juice few spoons
Salt
Chili powder
Oil for frying.

Method:

Thinly slice the gourd along with seeds. Sprinkle little lemon juice on the top.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Whent he oil is smoky enoug, fry few chips at a time.

Remove using slotted spoon, leave them over kitchen tissues for a while.

While tehy are still warm, sprinkle salt and chili powder.

Serve warm as a side dish for curd rice or any regualr south Indian meals.

Khakra: (Punjabi Style)

Methi Roti. Methi Chappathi. Venthaya Keerai Chapathi. Fenugreek leaves in Indian Bread.

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour 1 cup
Salt
Ajwain/omam/tymol seeds 3 spoons
Fenugreek leaves 1 cup(preferably kastoori methi)
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Mix all the above said ingredients togather in a large bowl.

Make a well in the centre. Add little by little warm water and make a smooth neat dough.

Make equal parts out of it. Knead them into thin rotis/chappathis. Knead them with uniform thickness.

Now dry toast them on tawa/griddle. Maybe for long time than usual. Let it be done like crispy paapad like(chips like) It should be brittle and crisp.

Serve warm or later. One can store this roti for long period of time.

Fried Potato Sticks:

Urulai Podi-meen pakuvathil Varuval. Potato Poriyal. Aloo thin sticks Fry.

This is my own recipe. It comes out like 'Nethili Meen Varuval'(Fried Anchovies). Vegetarian's excuse me! But anyway.....this neither deep fried in oil nor sticky fried poriyal. Just go thro' the recipe and give a shot.

Ingredients:

Potatoes 2 large (sliced like chips-rounds & then cut into thin sticks - maybe as cooked noodle's size thickness) or regular french fries thickness
Garlic 6-8 cloves thinly sliced into sticks.
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Sesame oil 1/2 cup
Curry leaves few - crisply fried for garnishing.

Method:

Take 2 large-raw potatoes with skin, slice them like you do for chips. Then cut them into thin sticks. Maybe like cooked noodle's size thickness.

In a vessel, add salt and 2 cups of water. Bring it to boil. Add the potato sticks and boil them for 3-5 minutes. Dont over cook it. This is boiled to avoid stickyness while pan-frying.

Then held in a colander, strain and drain the potato sticks. Now spread them over kitchen tissues......remove their excess moisture. Pat dry them using few more tissues.

In a very wide wok, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin and asafoetida. Let it pop and splutter well.

Then add garlic and pat-dried potato sticks. Fry them semi-crisply over medium to high heat. When oil coats them well and they wont be sticky.

Now add salt, turmeric and chili powder. Fry them real good. Maybe until the raw smell of chili leaves.

Garnish with crisply fried curry leaves and serve hot.

Serve them as side dish for curd rice. Simply unbeatable, quick fix dish.

Okra Pakodi:(Andhra Style)

Okra Chips. Crisply Fried Okra Rings. Vendaikkai Varuval. Fried Bindi. Bendakkai Pakodi.

Ingredients:

Okra/Lady's Finger 1/2 kilo- finely chooped into rings.
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Chili Powder 1 spoon
Oil for frying.
Crisply fried curry leaves for garnishing.

Method:


Wash and clean okra. Pat dry them. Trim their ends off. Then slice them into fine rings. Set aside.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan. When it is smoky hot. Fry little by little till crispy and greenish-brown color. Fry few in each batch.

Store them over kitchen tissues.

Once done with everything...toss salt, turmeic and chili powder to this, while they are still warm.

Serve warm as evenning snack. Can be served as side dish to curd rice.

Potato Chips:(Country Style)

Ingredients:

Large potatoes 4
Salt
Chili powder
Oil for frying.

Method:

Slice your potatoes realy very thin. Do not slice everything togather and store. It may make you potato look old. It turns color quickly. So slice them just before frying.

Heat up the oil. Slice a little. Fry them over medium-high heat. Fryt ill golden color and crisp. Do not make them too brittle and reddish in color.

Reserve them over kitchen tuissue. Repeat the same for frying. DO not load them. Fry few at a time.

While they are still warm...sprinkle salt and chili powder and toss it to all the sides. Let the sesonning coat to all sides well.

Serve warm.

Better to store them in air tight container for later use.

Sweet Potato Chips:(American Style)

They call this Lousiana Yam in Southern states! Well...though its not like Indian Sweet potato, it is good for soup & chips to my knowledge! I followed this recipe according to my local friends Liza and Davy. Its quite simple....slice and fry method!


Ingredients:

Large sweet potatoes 2-4
Oil for frying
Salt
Powdered Pepper 1 spoon
Powdered brown Sugar 1 spoon

Method:

Thinly slice down the sweet potaoes.

Heat up the oil. Maybe medium to high. Fry till golden color and crispy.Fry few at a time. Repeat the same for each batch. Reserve them over kitchen tissues.

While they are still warm...sprinkle with salt, sugar and pepper powder. Mix them for even coating at all the sides.

Serve warm as an evenning snack.

Crispy Onion Rings:


Fried Pyaas/Poritha Vengayam/ Vengaya chips/Onion chips/Fried Ulipaayalu.

Ingredients:

Medium size red onions 4
Fine corn flour 1/2 cp
Egg whites from 1-2 eggs
Salt as per taste
Chili powder / pepper powder - 1 spoon
Lemon juice from 1 fruit
Oil for frying.

Method:

Remove the outer skin of these onions and slice them vertically. Maybe to quarter inch thickness. Then separate them to rings and set aside.

In a large bowl.....add corn flour, salt, chili powder, lemon juice and egg whites. Mix them thoroughly to get runny consistency batter.

In a deep pan, heat oil. Maintain the stove in medium heat.

Just before frying.....dip the onions into this batter for few seconds or until the batter coats to it evenly. Drip away the excess batter.

Then fry them in hot oil....til golden brown. Leave them over kitchen tissue for few seconds then tranfer it to serving plate.

Repeat this proces for remainng onions too. One should fry very less in each batch, never load your oil. Maintasin your stove over medium heat.

This can be served generally as starters......but still one can use this for decoration. Like when serving fried fish or chicken, toss little fried onions over them and serve along with lemon wedges. It gives a rich look to your fried food.

Tomato Wafers:

Tomato Chips/Tomato Paapad/Tomato Vathal/Tamaatar Ki Chips/Tamaatar Ki Pokidiya`n/Thakaali Vathal/Thakkali Chips.

Ingredients:

Country tomatoes 1 kilo
Dry red chilies 1 cup
Country garlic with skin 1 cup
Asafoetida 1-2 spoons
Salt
Oil for frying.

Method:

Roast and powder red chilies.

Chop tomatoes lenthwise.

Semi-chush garlic along with skin.

In a wide bowl......add salt, powdered chili, asafoetida and garlic. Mix them well.

In this mixture.....toss the tomatoes.

Sun dry tomatoes for atleast a weak.

Store in a air tight container.

Fry them in hot oil. Serve along with Rasam Rice.