Today, I am sharing a recipe for Home-made Burdock Chips. They are quite easy to make, and they are delicious.
Cooking Time assume that burdock pieces are cooked in 3 batches.
Don't forget to see the section 'MEAL IDEAS' below the recipe card! It gives you a list of dishes that I have already posted and this recipe that can make up a complete meal. I hope it is of help to you.
- 3 x 10cm / 4" long burdock roots (about 250g / 8.8oz, note 1)
- A pinch of salt
- Oil for deep frying
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- 3 cups water
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Add the Vinegar Water ingredients in a bowl and mix.
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After washing the burdock root, if you prefer, scrape off the skin from the roots by either scrubbing the surface with a stainless-steel scourer or using the back of a knife (note 3). Put the peeled roots in the vinegar water.
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Taking one piece of the burdock root at a time, slice the burdock lengthwise using a peeler or a slicer to 1-1.3mm / 1⁄32-1⁄16" thick ribbons. Put the ribbons back in the vinegar water as you make them.
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Heat oil in a large frying pan to 170°C / 338°F. You only need the oil with the depth sufficient to float the burdock slices (2-3cm / 1" deep).
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Pat dry the burdock slices using kitchen paper.
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Take a handful of the burdock slices and drop them in the oil (note 4). Using long cooking chopsticks or tongs, separate each burdock piece as some of them may be stuck together. Repeat for the rest of the burdock pieces.
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Cook for about 1½-2 minutes (note 5) until the edges of the burdock pieces stat browning, then transfer to a tray lined with kitchen paper.
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Sprinkle a pinch of salt while hot, if using.
1. My burdock root was about 3cm / 1¼" in diameter. See the details about burdock with photo in the post.
In Sydney, you can buy fresh burdock roots at some Japanese/Asian grocery stores.
2. Soak the burdock pieces to prevent them from getting exposed to the air, which makes the burdock blackish.
3. See the section, Peeling the Burdock Skin for more details of how to scrape the skin off the burdock using the back of the knife.
4. Burdock shrinks when deep-fried so you can cook quite a lot at once.
5. Depending on the thickness of the burdock ribbons, the cooking time varies. If you used a vegetable peeler, you may need even less than 1½ minutes.