Here’s a little something cheap when it comes to your wallet, but super luxurious when it comes to the health benefits you can gain! Try out these homemade Malunggay Chips now, a perfect healthy snack in the afternoon if you want something to munch on, or just about any time of the day since it’s so quick and easy to make.
Continue to read on below and learn how to make these delectable malunggay chips and see some tips and trivia along the way.
What are Malunggay Chips?
Malunggay chips are basically the leaves of the plant–malunggay–or moringa, combined with cornstarch and other seasonings to make into a crispy delicious chips.
Malunggay is a plant popularly grown in tropical climates such as India, some areas of Africa, and of course here in the Philippines. It is commonly used as a vegetable ingredient for cooking and used as an herbal medicine in some cases.
Malunggay Health Benefits
One recognizable fact about the malunggay (moringa) is that it is considered a superfood. This means that this particular plant or ingredient packs an exceptional amount of nutrition and health benefits more than the usual food.
So to give a preview of what you can gain just by eating malunggay, here’s a simple list of what the health benefits:
- It helps promote skin and hair health
- It helps fight off cancer
- It protects kidneys
- It helps treat anemia
- It protects the liver
- It promotes balance of hormones
These are just some of the benefits to your health, if not all.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Malunggay (Moringa)
We will be using fresh malunggay leaves for this recipe. If you are not in the Southeast Asia region, you may have a low chance to find fresh ones.
Seasonings
If you think that the chips are too plain for your liking, you can add other seasonings such as the one mentioned in the recipe–the garlic powder.
Other spices and seasonings are also welcome and it depends on your taste what flavor you want to add in the malunggay chips. Some suggestions include adding spiciness to it like chili powder or cayenne pepper.
Aside from these, we will also be using other regular pantry ingredients like cornstarch, egg, salt, black pepper, and cooking oil. If you are filling up your pantry, here’s a handy shopping guide:
Equipment You’ll Need
- Frying Pan- We will be pan frying the malunggay mixture to a crisp and we will be needing a frying pan or skillet big enough to do this.
In need of kitchen tools and equipment? Read this before you buy:
How to Make Malunggay Chips
Malunggay chips are super quick and easy to make. It doesn’t take a professional to make this kind of easy finger food, so let’s get started. The recipe you will follow is simple and straightforward, but to help you visualize what you’re going to do, let’s break down the process into two.
First, you need to prepare and mix the ingredients and form it into some sort of batter. And second, you need to deep fry the mixture until it’s crispy.
Mixing the ingredients is pretty easy, just make sure that all of the ingredients are well mixed together and no lumps are formed and the egg is fully beaten, so you’re gonna have to whisk hard.
Want to try another unique type of chips? Try this: Egg Chips.
Cooking Tips
- You can save time by using only a single bowl for preparation. Most people and most of what’s listed in many recipes is you need to separate the dry ingredients and your wet ingredients. You don’t need to follow that exactly, what you can do is to just incorporate the wet ingredients such as the egg once you mixed the dry ingredients.
- Add in some ice cubes in your mixture to give it that extra crispiness. A chilled mixture helps bring out the crispiness of the chips once you deep fry it, so if you want to have that crackle in every bite of the chips, do give this a try. Other methods you can do is to just chill the mixture in the refrigerator for a while, if you have ample time.
How to Serve Malunggay Chips
Crispy malunggay chips are commonly eaten as appetizer or as a pica-pica. It is best served freshly cooked since it tends to lose its crispiness over time.
Other Vegetable Recipes
- Kalabasa Corned Beef Nuggets Recipe
- Kalabasa Fries (Squash Fries) Recipe
- Breaded Tokwa Nuggets Recipe
For a quick reference about this recipe, see the recipe table below:
Crispy Malunggay Chips Recipe
Equipment
- Frying Pan
Ingredients
- ¼ cup malunggay leaves, cut into finer pieces
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
- 2 pcs egg
- 1 tbsp garlic powder, (optional)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1½ cup cooking oil, for frying
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, dilute the cornstarch with the water. Mix until no lumps are seen.
- Add-in the malunggay leaves, garlic powder, and season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Add-in the eggs. Mix until well-incorporated.
- In a frying pan, pour-in and heat oil over low to medium heat.
- Scoop a part (about 1 tbsp) of the mixture and pour into the pan. Repeat for the rest of the mixture and then cook until golden brown.
- Transfer to a serving plate or serving tray. Serve with a dip of your choice and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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