Got the munchies?
Want to know my weakness when it comes to junk food?
Doritos.
Yes those seriously addictive, unhealthy, orange neon triangles of death. If there is a bowl of Doritos at a party I actually need to strategically place myself as far away as possible, because if I eat one, it's game over. Not to mention I've just bombarded my body with a whole bunch of nasty preservatives, additives, MSG and artificial colours. Eww.
So I thought I would whip up a batch of healthier chips for those moments when you are really craving something crispy and salty. This recipe is actually really easy and made using only eggplants, olive oil and a few spices. Nothing unnatural here! Eggplants actually make great chips as they have a neutral flavour and crisp up perfectly in the oven.
You can even make a big batch and keep them in zip lock bags for you or your kids whenever you get the munchies. Enjoy!
I used a big mamma long eggplant for this recipe, however you can use the large round ones too. I also found tiny mini eggplants which I got super excited about in a local Dubai supermarket. These would be perfect however you would have to buy a lot of these as the eggplants shrink in the oven.
Using a really sharp knife and your best culinary skills slice the eggplant in half and then horizontally as thinly as possible (2 mm). The thinner they are the crisper they are.
This spice mix gives the eggplants a nice smokey flavour, however you can mix any spices you prefer.
Make sure the eggplants are coated evenly with the spices and olive oil. They actually soak up a lot of oil so don't worry if they seem to dry, The excess moisture in the eggplant will help them cook and crisp up.
Now the waiting game happens. 1 hour seems like forever to cook but you really need it this long and on low heat to get a nice crunch. Keep checking the oven every 15 mins to make sure they havent burnt. If the ones on the edge start to crisp first you can remove them and put them in a bowl. If you have a food dehydrator you can also dehydrate the chips at 140F for 8-10 hours.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 1 whole eggplant (long or round is fine)
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp. Paprika
- 1 tsp. Himalayan Sea Salt
- 1 tsp. Thyme
- 1/2 tsp. Black Ground Pepper
- Love
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 250F and line oven tray with baking paper.
2. Slice the eggplant using a really sharp knife. The slices should be as thin as possible.
3. In a bowl mix the paprika, salt, pepper and thyme.
4. Add the olive oil and the eggplant slices and mix until evenly coated.
5. Spread out the eggplant slices evenly on the baking paper.
6. Place in the oven to bake for 60 minutes, depending on how thin you sliced them.
7. Transfer to a bowl and munch away!
