Karengo Chips recipe

by Felicity Joy September 3, 2022

Last week we foraged Karengo / Parengo from the rocks (see previous post for info). A lot of it we're drying to store for use throughout the year, ground into salts, sprinkled into stews, but some we have roasted into Karengo chips.

Raw Karengo is very very chewy. However cooked & roasted, it becomes crunchy & delicious.

These chips, are a bit like kale chips, green, tasty, superfood, good for you alternatives to potato chips. Not only are these delicious, they are full of nutrition. Seaweeds are touted to contain 20 times the amounts of vitamins & minerals than land grown food. Wow!

This recipe is ridiculously easy to make, and suprisingly is not overly seaweedy tasting, even those with more delicate tastebuds in the family might enjoy this treat. Maybe don't tell them what it is before they try it, and see what happens.

Karengo Chips recipe:

~ Wash fresh karengo to remove sand & stones

~ Dry off (I prefer air drying on the deck for a few days) or pat dry with a teatowel if needed

~ Mix with 1 tbsp oil or more as needed to lightly coat the seaweed. I prefer sunflower or olive oil, you can use coconut oil or your favorite cooking oil

~ Cover a baking tray with the seaweed and roast in the oven at 150 degrees until crispy. Toss & turn often to ensure that the seaweed is evenly toasted. It will shrivel up/reduce in size quite a lot, so you might like to do a couple of trays at once.

~ Keep a close eye on the oven roasting seaweed, because it can burn quickly.

~ Once evenly toasted, season with a sprinkle of salt, and if you like you can use lime juice, or tamari, paprika or cumin.

~ Serve & eat immediately to enjoy the crunchiness. Great on their own or served with a dip.

~ I find these don't store well, as they loose their crunch and become chewy again. If you don't eat them all at once you could grind them and add to a seasalt, or store in a very well sealed glass jar.