Apr'15 – Viva NZ

I share my spicy kale chips recipe from my Underground Kitchen cookbook, with the Viva magazine team. 

HOT AND SPICY KALE CHIPS

“As a healthy alternative to potato chips, you really can’t go past a freshly baked tray of curly kale. These chips are nutrient-dense, baked not fried, full of protein and, guess what, they actually taste good! Play around with different spice combinations; I sometimes like to use a teaspoon of mild curry powder combined with some ground cumin, to give the chips an Indian flavour.”

Makes: 4 serves
Takes: 5 minutes to prep; 12 minutes to cook

Vegetarian | Vegan | Paleo | Dairy-free | Gluten-free 

Ingredients: 
1 bunch curly kale
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp sesame oil (optional)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp flaky sea salt
2 tsp sesame seeds

Method: Preheat your oven to 180C. Wash the kale and dry thoroughly (see tip 1). Remove the tough centre stems and tear the leaves into large pieces. Combine the olive oil, sesame oil (if using), cumin, chilli, cayenne, paprika, salt and sesame seeds in a large bowl. Add the kale pieces and toss with your hands to coat. Spread the kale pieces in a single layer over 1–2 baking trays. Bake for 10–12 minutes, checking regularly. The cooking time will depend largely on your oven, and you don’t want to burn them! (see tip 2.) Once the kale leaves are starting to brown slightly and are crisp at the edges, remove from the oven and leave to cool for 3–4 minutes on the tray. This will help them to crisp up even more.

Tip 1: No one likes a soggy chip, especially a soggy kale chip. Ugh. It’s really important that the leaves are thoroughly dry before you toss them in the oil. Otherwise they will steam while baking.

Tip 2: If you want to avoid burning your kale chips, and have a bit more time on your hands, bake them at 150C for 25 minutes, flipping them once.

Click here to find out everything you need to know.