What the heck is Taro? Taro root is a staple in Asian and African cultures. These root vegetables can be used in place of potatoes in most dishes and have a slightly nuttier flavor. They are high in fiber, vitamins C, E and B6, as well as copper, potassium and manganese.
I first found these in the chip aisle that I no longer frequent. The brand Terra makes root chips of all sorts and varieties. You have probably seen their sweet potato chips, beet chips and mixed root chips. I love them all, but they are fried in vegetable oils. Not a fan of that for numerous reasons including the high amounts of omega 6's (pro-inflammatory) and the fact that any health benefit is destroyed with the heat of frying that oil.
With that said, I have opted to make my own since I love the taste sop much. The Taro root is not an easy thing to find, but it has been available at most Whole Foods. It can always be found at Asian market for less expensive. They are ugly looking things so do not get intimidated and don't judge a book by it's cover!!! they can be found in the produce section next to all the other roots and random looking foods you've probably never heard of! They come in all different sizes, but I think the larger size is best for chips.
The plant is considered toxic when raw so don't think about trying it! Once you have peeled the skin off with a vegetable peeler, rinse it under water or let it soak.
Recipe: Taro Chips
Ingredients
- Taro Root
- Coconut Oil Spray or coconut oil, melted
- Celtic Sea Salt
Instructions
- Peel the taro and cut off the ends
- Rinse or soak the root with water
- Slice the taro using a mandoline into desired thickness of chip. You can also slice this into pieces as you would a potato
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray it with the coconut oil spray
- Place the chips single layer on the sheet and spray with oil or brush with melted coconut oil
- Sprinkle with sea salt and any other seasoning
- Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes, flip the chips and bake for about 5 more minutes or until brown
- Store in an airtight container. I prefer a glass canister
These are the perfect thing to add some crunch back into your life if you have missed it going gran free! I love them with my Spicy Tuna Sashimi Salad on top!
