No No No Don't! : Ngaku Chips (Arrowhead Chips)

Every year since my sweaty endeavor back in 2013, I told myself that I won't bother making ngaku chips because ......... it is tedious peeling them, it is even more tedious slicing them (madolin notwithstanding), it is most tedious frying them ............. and this thing goes straight to my waist, hips and thighs.

But no. Oh no. Every time I see a heap load of ngaku (arrowhead) at the supermarket, all the suffering in the kitchen is all but forgotten (after all the ngaku frying frenzy happens only once a year. Easy to forget).

Just the other day, I walked past the vegetable section at Jaya Grocer and I saw this. 

The price has since come down to RM5+ per kg. I immediately grabbed a plastic bag but had to park myself elsewhere as two aunties were lingering and pondering over the heap of roots.

They were debating if they should buy the stuff and if the price was justifiable (I am just guessing as they spoke in Cantonese which I don't understand). After much deliberation, the aunties walked off, making way for this auntie.

I picked up a few and the next day I worked on them. It was just a matter of washing, peeling, slicing and frying. And guess what? It didn't feel so tedious this time. Strange, eh? 

When I first made these chips, I stuck to the tips and tricks and the proper way of doing things and as the years went by I have since relaxed and there is really no need to get anal about these things.

There are people who expertly slice the ngaku directly into the hot oil but I possess no such skills. So I slice the ngaku first and then drop them slice by slice into the hot oil. Of course I made only a small amount and can afford to use this slow method.

When you first drop the sliced ngaku into the oil, there will be a whole lot of sizzling and bubbling going on due to the reaction between moisture of the ngaku and the hot oil.

After a while, the activity slows down and then ceases. That is the right time to remove the ngaku chips from the oil. Drain them on paper towels and once cool, transfer them into air tight containers.

I only managed to fill two small canisters and yes, this is for giveaway. To who? To my brother. Well, when your sister is a food blogger, you get a piece of the action. But before you say that my brother is so lucky, he will tell you that such occurrences are very rare as he doesn't get to eat what I cook/bake all the time.

There is nothing mysterious or difficult about making ngaku chips. If you are willing to peel, slice and fry, you can make these at home at a fraction of the price of those sold outside. 

Ngaku Chips

Recipe source : Phong Hong

Ingredients :

- Ngaku (arrowhead roots) as many as you are willing to peel and slice.

- enough oil for deep frying

- salt

Method :

1. Wash the ngaku and peel.

2. Using a mandolin (or knife), slice the ngaku thinly

3. Heat oil in a wok until hot (test using a slice of ngaku. If it sizzles and bubbles, the oil is hot and ready)

4. Drop slices of the ngaku into the oil and don't over crowd the wok. You will notice a lot of sizzling and bubbling.

5. Once the sizzling and bubbling stops, remove the ngaku chips from the oil and drain on paper towels. 

6. Continue to fry the next batch until you are done.

7. Sprinkle salt on the chips and once they are cool, store in air tight containers.

Note : You can also add salt to the oil so that your chips are salted as they are frying.