Crunchy maple baked kumara chips
I can honestly say that vegetables don’t come much more delicious than this. These oven-baked kumara chips are sticky, sweet, salty, crunchy and soft all that the same time, and everybody goes ga-ga over them. Kumara (a NZ variety of sweet potato which I consider a national treasure) is probably my favourite vegetable. I’ve chosen gold kumara as they’re a nice balance of sweetness and moisture. Orange kumara are the sweetest, but they don’t crisp up as well (I love them as a puree or mash), while red kumara is less sweet and has a more robust texture (red kumara works really well for this recipe, too). Lovely served as a side or just as a snack with some aioli (recipe here).
Serves 4-5
Prep time 5 minutes
Cooking time 1 hour
Ingredients
1kg-1.5kg golden kumara (or use red/purple kumara)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp rice bran or grape seed oil (or light olive oil)
1 ½ tbsp real maple syrup
½ tsp salt
Cracked pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 180c fan bake.
Peel the kumara and cut into chips about 1-2cm wide. Add to a large mixing bowl with the the oils, maple syrup and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper.
Tip out into a large roasting tray, including all the oil and spread out in the tray.
Bake in the oven for 35 minutes, turning everything over twice during cooking (use a metal turner to scrape them up as they will try and stick to the bottom). If a couple break up, don’t fret – they turn into chewy, crunchy pieces at the end.
Toss the kumara again (drizzle with a touch more oil if you think it looks a bit dry) and turn the oven up to 200c fan bake. Cook for another 10 or so minutes until everything is lovely and golden, some bits dark brown. Remove from the oven. As the chips start to cool, they get crunchier.
Serve with a meal as a side, or just a nice bowl of aioli as a snack.
Chelsea’s tips
- Kumara should be stored in a cool, dark, well ventilated place. Don’t refrigerate them as this can causing the flesh to shrivel, decay and sometimes causes a hard core to develop which will stay hard when cooked.
- Kumara is a good source of vitamin C and a source of dietary fibre.
Hey Chelsea, LOVE this recipe girl – leaves the kumara so moist and scrumptious. Something a lil extra added (by yours truly), is some of Bean’s magic fart powder.
SO SO SO SO delicious.
– Love Bean xx
Can I precook 35 mins @ 180C , then take them to a potluck dinner and just do the 10mins @ 200C at my friends house (perhaps 15 minutes) ?
Delicious! Used orange kumara and still turned out crunchy.
Would honey be a substitute for maple syrup? Or what would they taste like omitting maple syrup?
Did this with kumara frozen chips tonight and they were yum!
These are so delicious! Words can’t describe! I have made them a few times with orange kumara (that’s all I ever seem to have on hand) and they still turn out great.
Would honey work?
I am having a dinner party and will not have enough room in the oven – could I do these in an electric fry pan?
Is it essential to use extra virgin olive oil and i don’t have fan bake. Assume the temp should be higher?
Ok, sent husband to buy maple syrup and he got maple flavored syrup, is there anything else we can substitute with?
That will work!
Wow Chelsea, these were delicious! My seven year old said they were the best thing I have ever cooked. Served them with your aioli as a side dish. Will be making them again. Thanks
I’d really like to try these for Christmas lunch but just realised my oven doesn’t have fan bake setting! So old. Do you think they’ll still turn out as crunchy? Should I use the grill setting, perhaps? Thanks!
I’m trying with a sprinkle of brown sugar as I don’t have any maple syrup so hopefully it works ok. Have made once before with maple syrup and what a delicious recipe!!!
Delicious! Made the whole recipe thinking I’d use the leftovers for your Kumara cake, maple flavored kumara puree would be amazing I thought. Unfortunately my 1 and 3 year old hadn’t received the memo and ate enough for 2 grownups on top of what my husband and I ate leaving a total of 4 chips. Was tempted to post a photo of the leftovers on FB, we were all too hungry for a pretty before shot.
These are delicious! Was tempted to post a pic on fb of the leftovers as we were all too hungry for a pretty photo before hand. I made the full recipe and my husband, 3 year old, 1 year old and I munched our way through all but four chips. Had hoped I’d have enough left over to make the kumara cake from your book, figured the roast maple would taste amazing in the cake. Oh well, next time!
Delicious! Sweet, salty and awesomely chewy! It’s a keeper. Thanks Chelsea.
Do Orange kumera work in this recipe?
Yep but they won’t be as crunchy.
Agree but they are still delicious. Just had Steak, salad and kumara chips X