Senbei - Rice crackers

Senbei are extremely popular in Japan, particularly around New Year, and there are literally thousands of varieties. Usually they are slowly grilled using a special iron plate to make them dry and crispy, but you can also fry them like I do here. Senbei are also often given as gifts, as they store well and are always gratefully received. You can try out different flavours, such as adding seaweed powder or mushroom powder to the rice mix. Making them is a bit fiddly at first, but spreading them on discs is the best way to get a nice round shape. Often they are dusted with icing sugar once fried, as a sweet / savoury mix, and it’s surprisingly good.

How to make Senbei

Makes: Snacks for 4 people (32 crackers)

Time to prepare: 45 minutes

Ingredients

200g cooked rice

2 egg whites

4g sea salt

a pinch of sesame seeds

500ml vegetable oil

Equipment

measuring scales<