Store bought chips come in all forms these days! They are usually made with Russet potatoes, or sweet potatoes. I have also tried root vegetables like beets, taro, even turnips that were amazing. Most chips though are fried in oil, lots of it. Some brands offer baked chips that have less fat but remain highly processed. Baked Pringles for instance are not only made with reconstituted potatoes but also contain wheat, corn and rice! They are also dowsed with a cocktail of seasonings like citric and malic acid, sugar, MSG and salt. This creates an explosion of 5 irresistible tastes in your mouth: bitter, sour, sweet, salt and meatiness. How can you say no to that?
The problem with potato chips is that they are high in fat, low in fiber and protein, and they don’t have much nutritional value. But we love them and they are really addictive! What if we could make a crispy alternative that was low fat, and had more fiber? Would it be crispy enough? Turns out, yes. And it comes together pretty quickly. No need to soak the potatoes in salt or vinegar water, no need dry them because we won’t be using potatoes.
Time for some rice paper
There are so many more uses for rice paper than making summer rolls! One of them is to make crispy chips! It is the simplest thing! If you quickly dip two sheets of rice paper in water, cut into squares or strips and air fry them you get the most delicate and crunchy chips. It is so easy and fun to try different sets of spices, colors and shapes! You won’t believe how quickly you can make them. It is kind of good because they will be going fast!
Seasoning the chips
You can eat these rice chips plain. You can also use any of your favorite spices to season your chips, like a little smoky, a little spicy, and different colors too for presentation. I have four really good combinations:
Hot smoked (reddish color) : 1 tbsp smoked paprika, pinch of cayenne, 1 tsp beet powder (optional), 1 tbsp neutral oil.
Apply with a silicone brush or your fingers on the second layer before cutting it into small squares, rectangles or strips.
Japanese: Nori sheets, sesame seeds, wasabi
Place a small amount of wasabi paste to the rice paper and place a small square of nori sheet on top. Cover with another rice sheet and cut squares or rectangles larger than the piece of sea weed to make sure you have a good seal.
Indian (yellow): curry powder, salt, pinch sugar
Mix the spices with the oil and brush on top of the second sheet.
Sweet: Cinnamon, sugar
Shape the chips
Rice paper usually comes in squares or round sheets. To achieve a perfect puffy chip you need to make sure that the edges of both layers of rice paper are sealed before you cut them into smaller bits. You can sprinkle dried spices, add the seasonings in the middle, but leave space on the edge for a clean seal where you will be cutting squares or strips. Place on your air fryer tray and Once you do this, you will get perfect crispy little chips!
Cooking the chips
To achieve a perfectly crisp chip every time, you need to air fry them and for a specific duration. I cooked them for 10 minutes on my first attempt and burned them! Dang! I should have peeked into the window earlier!
I reduced the time to 8 minutes, burned again! My third attempt at 6 minutes finally produced the perfectly puffed and crunchy chips. They are more like little pillows than flat chips!
Tips & suggestions
After making several batches, I noticed a few things that will be helpful when you are making them:
– If you want puffy chips, add very little oil to your spice mix. You can spray some oil and sprinkle the dried spices.
– You must quickly apply the spices and cut the soften rice sheet into squares or strips before rice paper gets a little sticky.
– I used a pair of scissors and a sharp knife to cut the chips. Both work great.
– Want no fat chips? Skip the oil and just sprinkle the dry spices on top of the first sheet before covering it.
– When making the seaweed chips, make sure to use pieces of nori that is smaller than the chip so that the edges are sealed.
Just cut in between each square.
– Chips that weren’t sprayed with oil should be eaten right away as they tend to get stale after several hours. I left several batches over night and noticed that those that had a little oil remained crispy even the next day! That was a surprise!
Quick Rice Chips (low fat too!)
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
- 6 rice paper sheets (round or square)
- water
Hot smoked spice mix
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp beet powder (optional)
- pinch sea salt
- 1 tbsp oil (avocado)
Indian spice mix
- 1 tsp curry powder
- pinch turmeric powder
- pinch salt
- pinch raw sugar
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
Japanese seasonings
- 1 toasted nori sheet
- 1 dollup of wasabi paste
- pinch raw sugar
Sweet mix
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tbsp agave or maple syrup
Instructions
Prepare the spices
- Smoke mix: in a small bowl, stir the smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, beet powder, salt with the oil.
- Indian mix: in a small bowl, stir the curry powder, turmeric, salt, sugar and oil.
Plain chips
- Fill a frying pan or a large bowl with water. Quickly dip the rice paper and place on a clean board.
- Repeat the process with a second sheet and place on top of the first one.
- Use a sharp knife or pair of scissors and cut squares, rectangles or strips.
- Place each square on the baking tray. Air fry for 5-6 minutes.
- Serve immediately
Make smoked spicy chips
- Repeat the process for plain chips and brush the spice mix on top before cutting the chips.
- Place each square on the baking tray. Air fry for 5-6 minutes.
Japanese chips
- Cut the nori sheet into small squares. Set aside.
- Place a small amount of wasabi paste on a shallow plate.
- Dip the first rice sheet and place on a clean surface.
- Using your thumb put a small amount of wasabi and place a square of nori. Repeat for the rest of the sheet.
- Dip a second sheet and place on top. Cut the chips around the seaweed making sure you have a good seal all around.
- Place each square on the baking tray. Air fry for 5-6 minutes.
Sweet chips
- Repeat the steps to make plain chips.
- Brush with the cinnamon agave syrup.
- Place each square on the baking tray. Air fry for 6 minutes.
Indian chips
- Make plain chips and brush the curry spice mix on the second layer. Cut and air fry.
