Deep-Fried Arrowhead Chips

Usually about a month or so before the Chinese New Year, you will be able to catch a glimpse of these "Arrowhead(cigu) - 钱菇" at most of the vegetable vendors in the wet market. This bulb-like corms of the arrowhead is sold roughly about S$3.00 per kg depending on individual stalls.

And don't under estimate this corms, it can be used in many way, e.g:- You can grow some of it a few weeks before Chinese New Year so that you would be able to get a pot of Jade Green arrow-shape leaves plant by New Year. Besides that, you can also sliced it into thin slices and deep-fried into golden chips which can serve as one of the snacks or you can add them as one of the ingredients for making soup or stew.


But from most housewife myth which I heard from one of my colleague Rebecca, the main purpose to grow this Arrowhead(Cigu) is because the pointed end of the corm resembles the genitalia of a baby boy and in the olden day, especially Chinese believed that nothing is more important than to being able to pass down the family name. So most of the parents will cultivate arrowheads for the newly wed couples hoping that they be able to have a grandchild in the same year.


So no matter what is the reason that makes you grab a couple of these arrowhead, you can always try making some of these addictive snack despite of the tedious slicing and frying process unless you are doing a large quantity. Although I often grow this corms in the past years, but this was actually my first year frying Arrowhead chips. And if you are keen to try this, I guess you still have some time to grab a few of the decent corms from the wet market before Chinese New Year which falls on 14 February.......

Ingredients:
6 Large Arrowhead Corms
Metal Slicer
Oil For Deep-frying
Pinch of Salt

Method:
1. Rinse the corms, sliced off the base and use the vegetable peeler to remove all the skin (retain the head portion so that you can hold it easily while sliding the corms into slices).

2. Set it aside to air-dry for about 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Bring half pot of oil to almost boil, hold the corms and slicer above the pot of oil (or you can pre-sliced some before the oil brings to boil).

4. Slice the corms into thin slices into the hot oil, deep-fry over medium heat till it turn golden colour.

5. Remove and drained it on paper towel.

6. Toss them with pinch of salt and stored in air-tight container when cool.



After some slicing and frying... this is the end result of my Arrowhead Chips which some claims that they taste even better than the normal potato chips that we used to eat. To me, I find that it has a very fragrant taste and indeed it's a new experience of making my own chips. And don't you feel that these round chips look similar to those "Golden Coins - 遍地黄金" which translated into Mandarin mean "Gold all over the floor".