Easy Chinese seaweed or crispy seaweed recipe

This is actually how they usually make Crispy Seaweed despite the name! Whilst a Chinese would use oils and sesame seeds this crispy kale seaweed recipe is a healthier version and is just a nice little addition to a Chinese Fakeaway!

What is Crispy seaweed made from? What is seaweed from the Chinese?

If you are looking to make some homemade Chinese dishes to enjoy a Chinese fakeaway at home to save money or save calories then maybe you are wondering how Chinese seaweed is made.

You will probably be surprised to find out that there is actually no seaweed involved. The actual main ingredient is kale or spring greens. For this recipe, I am using kale as it is, in my opinion, much nicer.

What is the brown powder on Chinese seaweed at the takeaway?

If you have ordered from the Chinese some crispy seaweed before, you will have noticed a brown powder sprinkled over it. This powder is Chinese Five Spice, you can buy it in all supermarkets with the herbs and spices.

How healthy is Chinese seaweed?

The Chinese seaweed that you get at the takeaway is deep fried in vegetable oil and as such, even for a small portion of seaweed from the Chinese, you will be having oil too.

Everyone knows that vegetable oil is not good for you especially if you are on a diet and a large portion could easily have 1 tsp of oil included, couldn’t it? Especially if at the same time you pinch a couple of prawn crackers!

How healthy is this crispy seaweed recipe?

Homemade Chinese seaweed, or crispy seaweed if you prefer, is extremely low in calories and uses simply kale, Chinese five-spice and a little spray oil. Spray oil is generally 1 kcal per spray so much less than oil used for deep frying.

Can you have Chinese crispy seaweed on Slimming World?

The simple answer is yes, even the one from the takeaway is fine on Slimming World but you would still need to count it as some syns. If you make it from my recipe at home it is syn-free and perfect to add to your Slimming World diet.

Like other recipes such as sweet and sour sauce, it is often healthier to make your own at home, even if you still order some of your favourites from the takeaway, the more you make at home, in general the healthier it is.

Different flavours to try for the crispy seaweed

You can make this crispy seaweed recipe using garlic or ginger to add different flavours.

Another great choice is to use chilli-flavoured low-calorie cooking spray such as Frylight. This is syn-free and makes the perfect chilli crispy kale. Crispy seaweed but syn-free!

Fakeaways for weight loss

If you follow Slimming World, Weight Watchers (WW), Noom or any other weight loss plan you can usually count the ingredients within this recipe in your allowances.

It is of course important to check yourself for any plan you follow and remember all nutritional information and ingredients are found in the recipe card below.

Chinese Fakeaway recipes to enjoy with your crispy seaweed

Here are some of my most popular Chinese Fakeaway recipes I think you should consider with your Chinese crispy seaweed.

Chicken and mushroom curry – this can also be adapted to be made with Quorn if you prefer.

Beef in black bean sauce which can also be made with Quorn steak strips if you prefer.

Singapore chow mein with a selection of meats but this can be easily adapted to use whichever meats you prefer.

Chow mein style noodles – these are similar to those above and you can add whatever you fancy for example to make mushroom chow mein.

Do you ever marinate tofu for recipes? Check my guide on tofu marinades for some ideas too.

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